At a time when most celebs have publicists or PR managers to help with their public image and ensure they stay relevant, actor Kavita Kaushik considers herself an exception. “I have never hired a PR person, except during Bigg Boss,” she tells us.

This, she says, has been a conscious choice and reflects who she is as a person. “I can’t do image-building like other celebrities. Even if I want to, I don’t think I have that talent. It’s just not me. You like me, great; if you don’t like me, I can’t help it. I cannot be one of those actors who call the press to their place and then behave all awkward,” says the actor, who will next be seen in the Punjabi film Carry on Jatta 3.

But, does this approach fare well with her peers and critics? “Sometimes, it may not,” Kaushik says. But, this does not affect her. “I am 42 and I do not care about what people think of me. It’s been 20 years that I have been in front of everyone. I have never cared if people thought I was brash. It is not my job to care about people and what they think of me,” she says.

Instead of paying heed to such gossip, Kaushik prefers focusing on her work. “I have been so busy and creatively active ki mere paas yeh ‘aao behen chugli karein’ wala time hi nahin tha kabhi. I did FIR (TV show) for nine years and I was so occupied that it kept me away from all the TV politics, who is getting what award or who is saying what,” she shares.

Speaking of one of her most popular shows, FIR, Kaushik says she never even had the time to soak in all the appreciation she received for playing sub-inspector Chandramukhi Chautala. “It was much later that I got to know about the impact the show had left on people as well as the Indian television [industry]. Even today, children are watching it and when they meet and recognise me, it feels strange, but special... Kabhi accha sunne ka time bhi nahin mila toh bura kya sunti,” she ends.