'I can be fun,' says Anushka

You would have thought, after a debut like Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi opposite Shah Rukh Khan

himself, the tall and strikingly attractive Anushka

Anushka Sharma

Sharma's life would have changed 360 degrees.

Not really. That's because she was determined from the start not to let her Bollywood

status go to the head. "This isn't the real thing, you know," she said, after making sure BT had got her name ("everybody spells it wrong") right! "I am a more grounded person today. Everyone appreciated my performance in Rab Ne..., but I am striving harder already."

There is much similarity between her and Deepika Padukone. Both girls are far too tall for Bollywood's leading pack of actors (well, the Khans actually, give or take an Akshay, Hrithik, John and Abhishek), and both have ramp model-to-silver screen backgrounds, not to mention debuts opposite SRK. "I don't compete keeping someone else in sight," said Anuskha who is getting ready for her next film (opposite Shahid Kapoor, this time). "I give my best shot and leave the rest to God. I meditate and have a connection to my spiritual side. That has an extremely calming effect on me."

She's doing several endorsements as well, with the catwalk remaining a fascination at the back of her mind always. "I walked the Mumbai Fashion Week ramp thrice including once for Wendell Rodricks's finale. I really love the ramp. I would be happy to sashay down it anyday," revealed Anushka. "People think I'm serious, I know I'm supposed to enjoy and flaunt that go-for-it attitude, but I really am a happy, shiny person. I have complete control of my emotions, thoughts and reality. Adi Chopra said that I have this beautiful aspect in my personality of staying grounded. I've been fiercely protective about it since then."

But there is a fun side, a streak of adventure in the 21-year-old actress all right. She recalled how she dismissed SRK when she first met him on the sets of Rab Ne... The Bollywood Badshah was made up for his role as Surinder Sahney — the 9-to-5 public sector-working husband, with moustache and glasses. "I looked at the simple man sitting on a chair and said, 'Yeh Shah Rukh hai? Mujhe ullu bana rahe ho!' And then he took off his moustache. I was flabbergasted. But not for long. 'This is really Shah Rukh!" I screamed and jumped around. The crew was laughing for hours." As for adventure... "You remember my bike chase scene in the film? Just for that, I learned to ride the bike within a day. Now, if need be, I can go zipping across Mumbai!"

Source: TOI