It's the right spirit

Remember that gawky-looking actress in Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe (2002)? And remember how that girl next door morphed into the sexy actress in 2004's hit Dhoom? That was a turning point for Esha Deol.

Reinventing herself as a sexy actress, her bold outfits in the movie sent out the message that she had no qualms about exposing.

Playing a sexy character paid rich dividends in the form of hits such as Kaal, Dus and No Entry. And last year, she wowed critics with her brilliant performance in Ankahee. And now, she's hoping to reap rewards and awards with her latest release, Ram Gopal Varma's Darling. She plays a ghost in the film co-starring Fardeen Khan and Isha Kopikkar. In conversation with Deol:

You seem to be excited about Darling. What is your role all about?

I play Gita Menon, who is Fardeen's secretary in the film. Gita gets involved with him, thinking he'll marry her, only to be ditched. Due to an accident, she dies. But she returns to haunt Fardeen. The film is basically a thriller which at times will make you laugh.

How did you find the experience of playing a ghost?

Well, I found the character of the ghost very interesting and challenging as it had various moods and shades to it. I am very happy with the way Ram Gopal Varma has shaped my character. It was a satisfying experience playing an unsatisfied soul.

Do you regret not being cast as Basanti in Varma's Aag, especially since it was played by your mother (Hema Malini) in the original Sholay?

No, not all. I believe that he would cast actors that suit the characters in his film. I am happy with the fact that he has given me a fabulous role in Darling and I'm not concerned about his other films.

You seem to have shot a steamy number, Tadap, with Fardeen in Darling. Did you have any issues shooting for the number?

When you are portraying a passionate and sizzling relationship, you do expect a certain amount of such emotion to make it look believable. The track Tadap has captured the passion very well and had to be portrayed appropriately.

Moreover, I have done quite a number of films with Fardeen and know him very well, so I was very comfortable shooting with him for this song and other romantic moments in the film.

After hits such as Dhoom, Kaal and Dus, do you believe that you made the right decision, opting for glamorous and sexy roles?

Initially, I thought I would stick to traditional outfits without wearing anything revealing. But I realised that if you have to survive in this cut-throat industry you need to compromise a bit. Therefore, I felt there was no harm in wearing such glamorous outfits as long as I was presented aesthetically. Moreover, you are in showbiz and you have to be trendy and glamorous.

With your dad, Dharmendra, not approving of your choice of acting in films, is there a lot of pressure on you to marry someone and settle down soon?

As a conservative father, I understand his emotions that he would want me to settle down and wouldn't like his daughters to be part of Bollywood's glamour and glitz.

Thankfully, my mother understands my emotions and supports me in my acting career. I shall definitely settle down in future but it all depends on when I come across the right guy.

Career chart

Esha Deol's debut film, Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe, was not what anyone'd call a box office hit but her performance was noticed and she won the Filmfare Best Debut Award. After a number of flops, her first big hit came in the form of Dhoom (2004).

This was followed by a Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan joint production, Kaal which was her second hit. Her next hit films were Boney Kapoor's No Entry — the highest grosser of 2005 — and the action thriller Dus. She was recently nominated for Star Screen Awards best Actor in a negative role(male/female) for her performance in Ankahee.

Did you know?

• Esha Deol excelled at soccer in school.
• She's one of only a few Indian actresses who can boast of a six-pack.
• Esha is also extremely strong and does serious weightlifting.