She kicks butt in "Dus" and is with sis Shamita in "Fareb", perhaps the only sister act in Hindi cinema. And Shilpa Shetty, off on a world tour with Sunny Deol and Aftab Shivdasani - no points for guessing who would shine among the four left feet - is on a high.

Shilpa laughs: "Both my recent releases tapped more than just my dancing potential. In 'Dus', I actually do stunts. That one kick I pulled off has been so widely noticed! I can't believe the impact. And in 'Fareb', Shamita and I are the only sisters in Hindi cinema to have appeared together. Isn't that cool?"

She's flattered by the comparisons with Jennifer Lopez and Angelina Jolie. "But I'd rather be me, Shilpa Shetty. Forget Jennifer and Angelina, why are people comparing Shamita with me? Let me tell you, my sister is far hotter than me. The way she has performed her tough role in 'Fareb' is breathtaking."

Her voice lights up at the mention of Shamita. "She has just started. And I feel she has a very bright career. I'm so proud of her."

Shilpa denies talk that the sister act in "Fareb" was a gimmick she masterminded. "Wrong! They went to her first, she didn't want to do it. Then after they signed me for the other role as Manoj Bajpai's wife, they went back to her. This time she agreed, and not because I agreed. And, please, I didn't do 'Fareb' for my sister's career! We've equal roles. She's there throughout the first half while I take over in the second half. Fifty-fifty."

She feels "Fareb" got a raw deal because of "Dus". "The bigger film got the bigger opening. We had gone to a multiplex to watch 'Dus'. While coming out, we came across people who had just seen 'Fareb'. They all came forward to say how much they liked the film."

Shilpa's last outing with the same director, Deepak Tijori, wasn't a happy experience. In her candid style she agrees "Khamosh" went wrong.

"Too many constraints. We had to finish the film in 25 days. Do you know 'Khamosh' was the first film where I was paired with a newcomer? Right from my first film 'Baazigar' I've co-starred only with the top guns, except Ajay Devgan with whom I've never worked. I wonder why!"

She ponders over that, and then perks up. "I'm very proud of 'Dus'. I had never done a multi-starrer before! I don't know why critics have panned the screenplay. While we were shooting, we thought the script was the real star of the film."

The actress also puts up a defence for director Anubhav Sinha. "I love the way he used me in the film, not as a glamour prop but as a character who carries the script forward. I was professional and yet I had a love life. Not too many heroines play such a character. I love the way Anubhav coordinated the large number of characters. It's a very difficult job to keep balance in a film where the number of characters is so high."

Looking like a million bucks with a figure to match, Shilpa is in her prime. "So I'm told," she giggles.

"Unfortunately male attention isn't of the kind I'd like it to be. There's just no one in my life, yaar! Maybe I'd finally go for an arranged marriage. But I'd have to fall in love with the man first. How arranged is that! Ha, ha... No, seriously, I've seen my mom and dad being together through thick and thin. But they just don't make men like my dad any more," she sighs, and looks at the collections of her two simultaneous releases.

"I knew 'Fareb' would be crushed by 'Dus'. Anubhav Sinha's film is much bigger and with far bigger stars, though stars no longer ensure a hit. Look at 'Page 3' and 'Kissna'. They were released on the same day, and look at what happened. I feel 'Fareb' is a decent marital drama. Besides it gave me a chance to work with my sister."

Right now Shilpa Shetty is jobless. "And by choice," she hastens to add. "At this very moment, I've four scripts on hand. But I don't think I'll do any of them. I'd rather stay at home than do films I don't believe in."