'I play a girl with a huge ego; that wasn't hard for me!'

Kareena Kapoor has grit. The kind no amount of box-office failure can destroy.

Her last two films -- Jeena Sirf Merre Liye and Talaash -- have not been winners at the box-office, but Kareena shows no signs of career angst when Subhash K Jha catches up with her.

On the eve of the release of S J Suryah's Khushi, Kareena speaks her mind:

Why have you been hiding?

I haven't been hiding. Sachchi! I just decided to retreat into my own space. I found my honesty was being misused by people whom I considered friends. I was shocked and devastated when I heard some of the nasty things said about me by those people.

Everyone seemed to have an opinion about me. So I thought it better to let people decide who and what I was. I decided to keep quiet and let my work do the talking.

How did you deal with betrayal by friends?

It was strange. But my mother and sister always warned me against these so-called friends. I know something was plotted to ease me out of a film I was supposed to do. Friends with whom I shared personal and career problems plotted to get me out of projects. I can't believe it.

But the press is also an essential part of the celebrity package.

Fortunately, my talent has never been questioned. At the moment, that seems more than enough to endorse my future. Of late, a lot of negative energy was surrounding me. People whom I trusted betrayed me.

I have become a loner. I have precisely two close friends with whom I go back to my school days. One is Reena and the other Pehlajji's (Nihalani) son Vicky. These are the only friends I share my life with.

What about Esha Deol?

Oh yes, we are still in touch. In fact, she is in J P Dutta's LoC. We are very excited to be working together.

Don't you think a sameness has crept into all your performances?

Nothing of the sort. Everyone seems to think I should do something different. But what? And why?

My sister [Karisma Kapoor] did the same thing for 10 years. She danced around trees with Govinda wearing the same kind of clothes before Fiza, Zubeidaa and Shakti happened to her career.

So what if I am wearing hip, trendy clothes, singing and dancing in all my films? I am just 22! Don't girls my age live life to the fullest? If I get into a sari to look sober and mature, everyone will turn around and say, "What's wrong with her?"

The sameness isn't only due to your clothes and the trees.

Yeah, I guess it also has to do with the roles. Maybe I am not getting the kind of films where I can innovate. Maybe I am just doing some films because I am being paid good money.

That is true of my last film (Jeena Sirf Merre Liye).

But I was very hopeful about Mujhse Dosti Karoge. I thought my character would shape up differently from how it finally did. I was let down miserably by the director and producer. It turned out the other girl (Rani Mukherjee) played a much meatier part.

Were you unhappy with your role?

I wish my character in Mujhse Dosti Karoge did not have such a K3G hangover. Earlier, my character was supposed to be something else. My Poo in K3G was so popular that elements of it spilled over in Mujhse Dosti Karoge.

Since Karan [Johar] and the Chopras are so close there is bound to be some similarity between their films. To be honest, I did Mujhse Dosti Karoge for Karan because he's a friend and he assured me I wouldn't be given a raw deal.

Have you and Karan fallen out?

Nothing of the sort. It's just that he decided to cast someone else for a film to be directed by Nikhil Advani for his production house. What happened was most unfortunate. No one knows the real story.

So tell me.

Everyone thinks I am out of the film because I quoted a hefty fee. That isn't the entire truth. I did K3G for practically nothing. Karan's father Yashji (Yash Johar), who is a wonderful human being, had promised me and my mother a certain remuneration for my next film for the Johars.

When Yashji came to me for Nikhil Advani's film, he said he could only pay me half of what he agreed on. The argument was they don't have that much money. But do you know how much they made on K3G? It is a mindboggling sum. I couldn't understand their logic.

If producers like Boney Kapoor and Vashu Bhagnani can pay me my fee, in spite of their recent films not doing so well, why couldn't the Johars? I did the Chopras' Mujhse Dosti Karoge for a pittance only for Karan and his father's sake. And what happened? Nothing.

Don't you think your rigid price and immovable attitude has cost you heavily in terms of friends and assignments?

What friends? Let me tell you, if the Johars' film was directed by Karan, I would have done it for free. In fact, I don't know why such a hoo-ha is being made about my so-called rigid price. I'm doing J P Dutta's LoC for free. I would do anything for him.

I know after Refugee he will again bring out the best in me in LoC. By the way, my costar in LoC is Saif Ali Khan. We have never worked together before. I am really looking forward to it.

You seem to be rather fond of J P Dutta.

I now know who my true friends are. If I work with someone who is very gifted but cannot afford my price, I would certainly charge much less.

Govind Nihalani has just given me a wonderful script. Please, price is not an issue at all. I don't think I am wrong in asking for my price from someone who has made a Rs 53 crore profit from his last film.

Why should we work for next to nothing for big producers and charge our market price from smaller producers who can ill afford it? Aren't we all part of the same industry?

I believe Preity Zinta agreed to do Karan's film for the price they wanted to pay her. I wish her all the best because she is a very talented girl and a wonderful human being

What have these past months taught you?

I have realised no filmmaker can make or unmake a star, and that no star can carry a film to success. The real star of a film is the script. If a film gets that right, it is a cakewalk all the way.

I also realise there are no big filmmakers in Mumbai. Didn't Yash Chopra and Subhash Ghai's banner produce Mujhse Dosti Karoge and Yaadein?

But Yash Chopra didn't direct Mujhse Dosti Karoge!

Oh, but the entire team contributes in some way to every film produced by them.

Your last three, four films have been abysmal.

Only the last two. Even in those I don't think I let down my fans in any way. My performance was appreciated. Refugee and Asoka are my best. But where are those kinds of films being made?

No one can take away what I have achieved. I have been loved even in my worst films. I think I became more loved after the fiascoes.

Tell us about Khushi.

I am playing the title role for the first time. I am very excited. It's a fresh, fun-filled romance. The audience gets to see me and Fardeen [Khan] for the first time. Fardeen is the surprise packet of Khushi. I can give you that in writing. As for me, I am sure the audience will love me in Khushi. I am very confident about it.

The South Indian original ran for 150 weeks.

Yes, but Southern remakes don't always work.

Director Suryah is unbelievably good. I would love to be part of all his Hindi films. He is not a typical South Indian director who can't take the South Indian look and flavour out of a Hindi remake. Suryah has updated and transposed the film wonderfully. From the cameraman and sets to the songs, everything has been re-energised and re-packaged. Boneyji has spent so much on it. He's really banking on Khushi.

What do you play in Khushi?

I play a very hyper girl full of nervous energy. The role is very me. I have used a lot of hand gestures in Khushi to make my point. I have never moulded my personality to project a character. This is the first time I have adapted myself so completely. I have made the character effusive, yet normal.

Any college girl could have played Khushi. I play a girl with a huge ego. That wasn't hard for me to do. I have such a big ego myself (laughs).

You and Akshay Kumar are said to have made a striking pair in Talaash.

Lots of people told me that. Akshay and I get along like house on fire. He is great fun. He makes his costar so comfortable. I hate the image that he has of a Casanova or whatever. He is such a sweet and adorable guy. And he is genuinely fond of me.

Karan Johar once told me Sooraj Barjatya's Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon will turn you into the legend you aspire to be.

I don't know about that. But yes, it is a very special film. It is the girl's story. Sooraj Barjatya is out to stun the world.

I hope I win an award, finally, for this film. I play a very simple girl called Sanjana who undergoes some not-so-simple experiences.

When are you tying the knot?

Not now. I haven't found a person to spend the rest of my life with. I just want to work, work and work with the best directors of the country. I have to try to do different films. No room for a relationship. Besides for a man to pighlao [melt] me would take an eternity. I wonder what will happen when the right man comes along.

Have you signed anything new?

As of now I am working wholeheartedly on Soorajji's film. It will be released in June.

I have signed only one new film. Dharmesh Darshan's Kajal, which is a heroine-oriented film with Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty. It has a very nice script. Audiences will see me in a completely new look.

I'm being asked why I am doing a film with Dharmesh. The script sounded good. So why not? Besides, Dharmesh is Suneel Darshan's brother and we are like family. There's also Govind Nihalani's film.

If you were granted a wish what would you like?

To be in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film. I adore his work. If we come together we'll shock everyone.