Soha Ali Khan on her relationships and on doing well professionally

Soha Ali Khan’s recent photograph in an international magazine where she was seen completely revamping her prim image has her unfazed. “I was apprehensive about it. But there was a part of me that said I’d like to see how this experiment goes. And I wouldn’t call that makeover. The photo-shoot was slightly tongue-in-cheek,” says the actress.

Her cover image was compared to her mother Sharmila Tagore’s bikini avatar in the 1960s by some. To that she laughs and says, “We were prepared for that. The magazine cover was not a talking point between us. It’s not the kind of thing that you put on your parents’ coffee table in the morning. Perhaps, I need to do a Good Housekeeping cover to make up for the Maxim cover.”

On what her parents thought of it, she says, “I didn’t ask my father what he thought of my supposed makeover. My father watches wildlife and IPL matches, not my movies. That doesn’t mean he loves me any less. But I do expect the rest of the family to see them. I’ve other expectations from my father. If he didn’t fulfil those, which he does, I’d be devastated.”

So why the ‘supposed makeover’? “Well, that is a part of my personality. As an actor I constantly need to experiment with my looks, clothes and makeup,” she explains.

What does her brother have to say to that? “Saif spoke to me about a three-year-old photograph that came out a month ago in a magazine. That, I’ve to admit, was slightly risqué. He called to say, ‘You don’t need to do that. It doesn’t suit you.’ Then he called again and said, ‘You looked very nice in the photograph.’ That’s Saif for you.”

Quiz her about him and Kareena Kapoor and she says, “It’s very embarrassing to be made a spokesperson for him and Kareena but I must say he increasingly understands the importance of family because of his attachment to his own children. He’s even started doing family films like Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. But let’s not talk about him.”

On Soha’s supposed marriage to Tamil actor Siddharth, Soha laughs out loud and says, “There were rumours that I was getting married in April, then stories that I broke up. Then again stories that we are supposed to get married in December. Now I’m looking forward to the next episode in the ongoing soap opera of my personal life but…,” she adds optimistically, “…I can’t complain. I’m in a better place professionally today than I was last year.”

Soha is working of four films, including one opposite Irrfan Khan.