Katrina Kaif is flying high

Bollywood scorcher Katrina Kaif doesn't always get acting plaudits, but she played Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde to perfection during a media event in Mumbai to launch her partnership with Etihad airways on Tuesday.

Firstly, at a packed evening press conference, the Raajneeti star — the new brand ambassador for the UAE airline — was the epitome of grace under fire as she fielded questions about her personal life, her break-up with Salman Khan and her recently-acquired single status.

But the act didn't last long. The notorious diva emerged an hour later when tabloid! met her in a private suite. After greeting us with a glacial stare, the distinctly bored Kaif furiously checked her phone for messages as she waited for her staff to throw the rulebook at us. (No photography, no video and no personal questions topped their list). Chilly.

Smooth sailing

But let's begin with the Dr Jekyll episode. Looking resplendent in a white Tarun Tahiliani creation, Kaif began on a smooth note as she regaled a press conference with the experience of shooting a commercial in Etihad's diamond lounge, which kick-started her brand ambassadorship with the airline.

"We had an amazing time while shooting because Farah [Khan, ace Bollywood choreographer] gives her distinct touch to everything that she does. It is my honour to be associated with a brand like Etihad," said Kaif, pointing to a TV screening her commercial, which shows her breaking into a Bollywood dance routine in the plush lounge.

"And in case you are wondering, that's what I do when I am waiting for my flights. Learn and practise my latest dance steps," she quipped.

The conference hit a turbulent note when microphones were taken away from local media after they attempted to ask Kaif personal questions — such as, "Are you single now and have you broken up with Salman Khan?" A section of the media threatened to stage a walkout. But the seemingly unflappable Kaif swooped in to bring the situation under control. Not only did she answer the question, she even apologised profusely for the media-muzzling episode.

"Yes, I am single and I don't want go beyond that. And if Salman Khan has said he's single and if I am single, then the rest is easy to figure out," said Kaif about her ex-boyfriend. The two were involved in a serious relationship for many years with the much-older Khan acting as her mentor.

"But guys, please understand one thing. As a woman, I have always believed that you are single until you get married. Yes, I may have friendships until that time. Personal decisions are tough to make and if you have to make them in front of everybody — the media or the public — it becomes even more difficult. So that's the reason why for the last six years I have not commented who I am with, on my break-ups or arguments. Please respect that."

She may have publicly declared her break-up, but her former lover still features in her list of mentors. When asked whom she considered her guru in the entertainment industry, the Khan family and Akshay Kumar were the first few names to come out.

"Everybody in the industry has backed me completely in my short journey in Bollywood, from the Khan family to Akshay Kumar," Kaif said. "I will always be grateful to them."

‘Focused on my work'

Even if her personal life has taken a beating this year, professionally she is riding high with some plum film projects including Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan opposite Akshay Kumar and director Zoya Akhtar's Zindagi Milenge Na Doobara with Bollywood heart-throb Hrithik Roshan.

"Currently, I am focused on my work and I want to give my career a 1,000 per cent."

Shifting gears subtly, she even lightened the tense atmosphere by sharing her childhood dreams. "As a child, I have always dreamt of adventure like [becoming] a firefighter or fighter pilot. Right now, learning how to fly would be amazing. Maybe, you [Etihad] can help me out here," said Kaif, glancing at Andrew Ward, Vice President of Etihad Airways, who sat near her.

"Katrina is a highly innovative actress with the roles that she plays and is constantly creating benchmarks in Bollywood," Ward said. "She brings beauty and style and complements the luxury that we have on board."

But her innovating improvisations at the press conference seemed to have taken a toll on her. Our cool meeting later in a private suite was terse to say the least.

"Actors are highly emotional people and we tend to be affected a lot more with situations. But I have trained myself not to be affected by it."

Our verdict: take a few more classes.

Quickfire

Katrina is one of the busiest Bollywood actors and lives out of a suitcase. tabloid! asked the globetrotting star about her flying experiences

Tell us about your most memorable flight.

The last flight I took was from Abu Dhabi to Paris by Etihad. I had to fly down to Paris to shoot for Zoya Akhtar's film. It was a peaceful experience, because I didn't feel alone or isolated.

How do you spend time on a flight — do you read or watch films?

None of the above. All I do is sleep. The moment I get onto a plane, I just fall asleep and my number one requirement is that the seats should be comfortable. Often, when I wake up I see people watch movies for nine hours straight. And I wonder how they manage to do it. I guess everybody has their own individual and often peculiar flight behaviour.

What kind of a celebrity passenger are you? Do you get irritated when passengers from economy class run up to you for an autograph or a photo?

Not really. It's not like I have the entire passengers on the plane running up to me for an autograph. That has never happened, thank God.

Have you ever run into a celebrity while on a flight?

I have never run into a celebrity and I know, it's a bit bizarre.

The moment when you felt helpless or stranded at an airport?

It was during the volcano break-out. I remember calling up my Etihad friends asking if they could help me out and fly me to the UK. But they were like: ‘We will do anything, but we can't fight with a volcano.'

How frequently do you travel?

I live out of three suitcases and I have them lined up in my room. The suitcases are always packed and labelled according to the days I need to travel. I haven't calculated the number of hours, but I spend a lot, a lot of time on flight

Numbers game

• 4 hours: The time it took for Farah Khan to shoot the commercial with Katrina.
• 40,000: the number of hits the video got once it was uploaded.
• 76: the number of countries from where fans clicked on the video to check out the new face of Etihad Airways.

Your questions

tabloid! managed to squeeze in two of the best readers' questions. Kaif connects with you

From: Shaikh Mohsin Ali

How do you manage to take tough career and personal decisions and how do you handle extreme emotions in life?

"This is a very good question. Come to think of it, I should put this question on my wall and, as soon as I find the answer, I will send it to your paper. But having said that, it's a constant battle. As actors, we are emotional and things tend to affect you more and that translates to stress. It's a constant battle for me. But once you are aware of the stress, you learn to handle it."

From: Komal Singh

You are considered the "lady with the Midas touch" by filmmakers. How do you like the "golden touch" tag?

"I have seen so much in my short journey in Bollywood. I have learnt not be pressurised by the golden touch tag. I think the best thing to do is to do your best while doing a film and then leaving it to destiny. I try not to let it bother me."