Shriya Saran turns 40 today and doesn’t want to be hush-hush about it. She’s embracing her age as she believes it’s no longer a hindrance for female actors in the industry. “I’m entering the 40-year club today. While we need to be healthier and fitter, I don’t think age matters,” the actor says, adding, “In my head, I don’t feel 40. In fact, I feel like I am 18, because I have that kind of energy and also with [regard to] the work that I am getting to do nowadays”.

She credits this forward thinking to actors Kajol and Kareena Kapoor Khan, who have broken the glass ceiling for other female actors. “They have opened up things for us and we followed in their path. Kajol didn’t give a s**t about the world; she got married when she wanted to, had a kid and returned [to work] when she wanted to. Kareena worked all throughout her pregnancies. I didn’t have the guts [to do that] when I was pregnant. They’ve shown another level of confidence and I respect that,” says the Kabzaa actor.

While Saran is still big on birthday celebrations, becoming a mother has given her a new perspective: “I’ve realised my birthday is a day [of celebration for] my mother. I wanted to do something special for my parents, but since my father underwent knee surgery, I will do it later on.”

“I will be travelling a lot for my birthday. I will be going to Kovalam with my daughter Radha and husband Andrei Koscheev, who hasn’t been to Kerala. Later, I want to go to Maldives and Kashmir as well.”