"Both Shah Rukh and Aamir have taught me a lot. I used to be their fan. I had seen all their movies. Once I had even taken Aamir's autograph! Then all of a sudden, I was facing the camera with him! The way these two looked after me and saw me through my initial scenes is something I can never forget."

"I am here to act, entertain and make good films. I don't want to work hard for a film which does not even get released. I will cooperate with my director and help him make a good film. I get disappointed if my co-actors don't put in as much as I do. Today I am looking for banners and costars who have the same goal as me --- to work towards making a good film with dedication. I have made mistakes in my career, but that is just the learning process."

"Sanjay Leela Bhansali, director Black:"

"Yash Chopra, director Veer-Zaara:"

"Kunal Kohli, director Hum Tum:"

"On Sanjay Leela Bhansali:"

"On John Abraham"

"On Preity Zinta:"

"On Hrithik Roshan:"

"On Abhishek Bachchan:"

"On Amitabh Bachchan:"

"On Hema Malini:"

"On Madhuri Dixit:"

"On Saif Ali Khan:"

"On Salman Khan"

"On Shahrukh Khan:"

"On Aamir Khan:"

"On the Khans"

"On the Ash Replacement Controversy in Chalte Chalte (2003)."

"on her character in The Rising (2005)."

"It would be very unfair to compare "Black" with any other film. I can't do a role of a handicapped person. It'd look like a carryover of "Black". Every film is a new experience for me. I respect my work too much to act superior about other films. "Black" is a kind of film that comes once in a lifetime. Even Sanjay [Leela Bhansali] can't make it again."

"I’m happy Black is a hit. It marks my hat-trick after Hum Tum and Veer-Zaara."

"For me, a director is more important than a big banner. A great director can do wonders. Of course, banners do matter because, ultimately, after all the hard work you put it, the film must release. This will happen only if you work with a good banner or a producer who markets your film well, gives the director whatever he wants, and releases the film."

"Yes. Women characters are once again assuming significance in films. Karan Johar, Sanjay Bhansali and Yash uncle conceive wonderful women characters. In the ’50s and ’60s, Bimal Roy and Guru Duttji wrote beautiful roles for heroines. You couldn’t take your eyes off a close-up of Waheedaji, Nargisji, Nutanji or Meenaji. Times are changing again. The Bhansali-shot close-ups of Ash and Madhuri in Devdas were awesome."

"I am in the profession of acting and so to suit the character I sometimes have to indulge in kissing and provocative scenes. I have never felt comfortable shooting for kissing sequences. Although, kissing scenes like the ones in Yuva with Abhishek Bachchan and in Hum Tum with Saif were shot in an aesthetic manner. I am still pretty much uncomfortable performing such scenes."

"The kiss with Kamal Haasan [in Hey! Ram] was mechanical. He was constantly checking the right angle. Where was the passion?"

"When Karan wanted my voice to be dubbed for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, I really thought that it was a bad idea, but slowly I worked to improve my diction, and now I'm quite comfortable with it."

"I love Titanic because the love in the movie was pure, real, passionate and unconditional... the way the love story culminated in catastrophe was phenomenal. I love DDLJ and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai for being so over the top and yet so believable for us youngsters... I love Black for being such a sublime love story between and a teacher and his student. It was a love much beyond the ordinary."

"Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak: I was in school when I fell in love with the Aamir-Juhi pair. It was my first experience of love on-screen."

"Salman Khan is probably one of the most good looking people we have in our industry."

"I feel beautiful in love. There is a lot of love for you in the beholder's eye. That makes you feel very happy."

"[On her fallout with Abhishek Bachchan] The truth is if someone chooses not to invite you to their wedding you realize where you stand with that person. You may be deluded and think you are friends but maybe that friendship was only extended as co-stars on the sets. It doesn't matter. It became very clear to me that we were only co-stars not friends."

"I compete with myself."

"I love daal chawal. I am not a restaurant person. I enjoy home food a lot."

"I don't let gossip about my alleged affairs with Abhishek (Bachchan) or Govinda bother me anymore. People have even married me off to Karan Johar! The rumors about Govinda did make me furious. I felt sorry for Sunitaji. As far as Abhishek goes, I’m not dating him. I have no time for dates."

"I have been into Odissi for over a decade now. I started around the time I was in standard X. I started dancing with Meenakshi Seshadri. My guru Pandit Ravindra Attibuthi has also taught Meenakshi and Hema Malini."

"I have become cautious. There is no fixed formula. Today audience's sensibilities are sharp. You can't feed them rubbish. They want to watch good films. The script has to be appealing. Even if it is larger than life, it has to be realistic. Audiences have to identify with what you are showing."

"after the release of Black:"

"Catfights? What catfights? There is a healthy rivalry between me and other actresses but no one’s ever been bitchy. Kareena Kapoor is a cool girl. As for Preity Zinta, we share an on-screen rapport but we were never friends."

"Getting up at odd hours to catch flights. I hate the long hours of waiting. There are times when one is continuously travelling, from one city to another, hopping from one studio to another or changing from one costume to another. It is annoying, but after a point, one learns to be immune to one’s surroundings."

"I don't party, I don't get drunk and I don't have affairs. So all my passion goes into my work."

"And if I was found to be good for two awards, it doesn't mean I should be given just one just to make the awards look more democratic."