Aditi Rao Hydari is no ordinary woman. Having a royal lineage to her background the actress has not had an easy pathway to films. She started off with films in the South when director Sudhir Mishra saw her and cast her in the lead for his ‘Yeh Saali Zindagi’. But that was not it; the actress made cameo appearances in films like ‘Delhi-6’ and ‘Rockstar’ before finally getting to play the lead in ‘London Paris New York’. Now she is all set to surprise the audience with her bold and sensuous role in ‘Murder 3’. We talk to the actress about her films and her journey in Bollywood.

‘Murder 3’ is all set to release on Valentine’s Day, what value does Valentine’s day hold for you?

Murder 3 is all about hearts and here we are going to murder with our looks. When I heard the story of the film it reminded me of a rose. A rose is a flower which you love to admire and when you touch it, you get hurt by its thorns yet you still want to touch it. In the same manner Murder 3 will shock you and hurt you.

What kind of girl is Roshni - your character in the film?

Roshni is a beautiful, vulnerable and free spirited girl and she has strength. If she feels unjust she will walk her journey. She is a lot like me in real life. I related to the character because she is strong and the dignity with which she lives she has been strong. I have always imbibed dignity and positivity in my life. My parents split up when I was very small and she has brought me up independently. She has imbibed the positivity in me and taught me to lead my life with dignity.

The film has a lot of intimate scenes, how do you handle such scenes?

I don’t think there’s anything wrong in doing intimate scenes. Like I said one has to be honest in everything in life. I am being honest to my career. It’s better to be honest than hide behind a facade.

Were the scenes tough for you to perform?

No I have been lucky with my films and my co-actors. The toughest scenes were more in Yeh Saali Zindagi. It was my first film and I didn’t know anyone from the industry. Scene became different in this film because of the surrounding. I don’t like too many people around me when I am doing such scenes. I don’t want to be vulnerable in front of so many people. I have always felt they can misuse the image. Not everyone around you has a clear mind they can be corrupt with their thoughts and I don’t want to give them the advantage of that.

There is another beautiful girl Sara Loren in the film since it’s a love triangle. How were the scenes with her? How was it working with Randeep?

I don’t have scenes with her. I heard that she has worked on Pakistan Television earlier. We did meet on the sets but I like her because I found her to be very straight forward. Randeep looks scary but he’s very loving and very encouraging. Sometimes I would tend to get complacent but he would tell me that I have it in me to perform better. That I could handle the scene better. For me Randeep is a star.

You are a professional Bharatnatyam dancer but we have not seen you dancing in films? Does dancing help you in your profession?

I have been performing since the age of five. The moment I perform on stage my self-consciousness just vanishes. My teacher used to always tell me that I am a lazy girl in front of her but when I have an audience I put my best efforts. Dancing definitely helps me a lot. Dancing is all about expressing through your eyes and your expression keep shifting and changing every moment. I don’t practice or rehearse everyday but when I do I do it sincerely. I have always believed that dancing is a stylized form of acting. It’s real you cannot fake it. When you think about something or when you are happy or sad it shows on your face and eyes.

Mallika Sherawat was part of the first venture and she was very bold in the film. Do you think you can compete with that image now?

The first Murder was a film of lust and she was fabulous in it. She is a woman who makes her own decisions. I am not competing against her in any way. She was a different character and my character is different in this film. If you can recall Mahesh Bhatt has compared me to Nutanji recently which was a great thing. I may not be as great Nutanji but I will try to do my best to live to that image. My role has more of substance. He had told me that I have a soul of steel. The franchise is more about emotions than shedding clothes. It is more about the manner in which people are brought up in. I think you should have steel in your soul and not silicone in your boobs and our film shows that.

What qualities of Nutan do you like?

Nutan was the epitome of grace and dignity and she was a beauty in a classical way. She had childlike naughtiness in her. When I was shooting for London Paris New York, Goldie had compared me to Nutan. It was a great feeling and now Mahesh Bhatt has also compared me. It’s a tall name to live up to and I am very grateful for that.

The poster has the girl baring her legs?

Yes, they are my legs and I will show my legs as well as my talent.

How did you get this film?

I happened to meet Mukeshji at a screening and he came upto me and said that he had seen the promos of the film and loved my performance in Yeh Saali Zindagi. During London Paris New York he called me and asked me to come and meet me as he liked my performance. The Bhatts always think out of the box. So I was wondering that if I should call them but Mukesh Bhatt told me that he wanted me to come and meet him. I came and they narrated a script to me I said I like it and when I was signing on the contract I came to know that it was Murder 3. I never knew that they were making this film. I don’t go around looking for work. So far I have got roles because people liked my performance.

Did you choose the film because it was bold film?

They allowed me to explore my sensual side. It is as simple. For me a good film means it has to have a good story. I have not signed the film because it will allow me to be hot and sensuous. When I started my career I started with a dance film. These were films which came to me because of my performance in that film. Not everybody is lucky to get a break like Deepika Padukone. I am more like Natalie Portman I started my career with different kind of films and roles.

Didn’t your royal lineage ever come in between your choice of your films? What is their opinion to the kind of films you are doing?

My film has always been liberal. They have taught me to live independently and with dignity. I have never taken advantage of that. They are highly educated and know that it’s my profession. I got a lot of freedom from them and I am proud of my choices and so is my family. When I did Rockstar they said why did I choose a small role like that but they have been rock steady in their support.

But what is your criterion for choosing roles. You have three films where you are playing the lead and yet there are two films like Delhi-6 and Rockst