Shy and reticent, Katrina Kaif has a phobia of the media just like her boyfriend Salman Khan. She clearly has been instructed to give to-the-point answers. But her vulnerability manages to peek out once in a while even when she is doling out short, clipped and what suspiciously seemed like rehearsed answers. Ask her a remotely awkward question and she goes back into her shell, like a true Cancerian.

To get her out of it, one needs to broach the topic of her next release, ‘Namastey London’ where she co-stars with Akshay Kumar, which she is most excited about at the moment.

Playing a role close to her own life of a girl who struggles to settle down in India after being brought up in a totally different culture in London, Katrina says, “I could identify quite a bit with the role. But the girl’s character is not like mine at all. The situations might be similar but I might have not reacted the way the girl in the film does.” Katrina is hoping to be taken more seriously as an actor after this film.

She says, “This film is very important to my career in the sense that the role is etched out so well and I have had a great scope to perform. I hope to be accepted better after this film.”

Tell her she is looking lovely in the promos and she doesn’t look too happy. She says, “I just hope people also see something beyond that. There is something much deeper than what you just see in the promos,” with eyes downcast, as if saddened by the fact that not many know the real Katrina.

She says she loves being a part of the industry — because ‘if you are honest, you are readily accepted.’ But there is something about the industry which irks her too. “I can do without people forming opinions and jumping to conclusions without really knowing me.”

Ask her what kind of films she is really interested in, she says, “I don’t understand new age cinema. All I know is good cinema and bad cinema, and I obviously want to be part of good cinema, small or big,” she says finally flashing a smile. Since she is new to the industry, does she take boyfriend Salman’s help in choosing a film? Kat hastily retreats back into her shell and says, “No, I do that on my own.”