A girl-next-door, a simpleton, a fashionista and a go-getter in different movies, actress Sonam Kapoor says she has tried to play myriad roles in her career because she doesn't like to repeat characters.
For her latest Bollywood release Khoobsurat, she has shed her inhibitions and gone wild in the Engine ki seeti song.
But she says, "That's not me. That's my character. I doubt you'd see me breaking into Engine ki seeti in real life. I like to play a different character each time."
Talking further about it, she said, "I've never played someone like Mili (character in Khoobsurat) before, and I don't know if I'll play someone like her again. Just like Zoya, my character in Raanjhanaa. She was someone I had never played before. I don't think I'll play her again."
Her future projects will also see her in roles different from her past portrayals on screen.
"The characters I play in Dolly Ki Doli and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo are completely removed from what I've done so far. I don't like repetition. I'm making a conscious effort to play characters which are different from one another," said the actress, who will next be seen in director Sooraj Barjatya's Prem Ratan Dhan Payo with superstar Salman Khan.
She admits working with the hit duo has been an amazing experience.
"There is so much positivity during the shooting. I can't describe how peaceful I feel when I am on the sets of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo," she said.
How different is Mr Barjatya from director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, with whom she made her film debut in Saawariya in 2007?
"You know I am so blessed. In just seven years I've worked with the best directors from Sanjay Bhansali to Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra to Aanand L Rai to Sooraj Barjatya. And Shashanka Ghosh (of Khoobsurat) is also an amazing director.
"The fact that such a varied spectrum of terrific directors has so much faith in me is a very reassuring feeling for me. Their approval is a great validation for me. I may come across as a very confident person, but when it comes to my performances I am extremely self-critical and unsure. I feel I have a long way to go," said the 29-year-old daughter of veteran actor Anil Kapoor.
She believes each director she has worked with so far has helped her in her journey.
"Sanjay and I haven't worked together after Saawariya, but we are connected constantly. Every time he sees something of mine on television, he messages me. Rakeysh Mehra is there for everything I do. Shashanka is so protective of me. If anyone says anything about me, he messages me. I am quite blessed with my directors and my co-stars."
Sonam also feels that from Saawariya to Khubsoorat, she has got better with every film.
"If I started at 1.2, I've now gone to 1.7," she said while rating her growth, adding, "I'm more excited by the journey than the destination. That's the way I am. I am always looking forward to seeing what the future holds for me."
