She's back in the limelight for various reasons. Her Tamil-Malayalam bilingual Nadigayin Diary is set to release, her film with Salman Khan (Mental) has kicked off and she's excited about moving into her own house. Sana Khan talks to TOI about the course her life has taken...

Silk Smitha's life has already been told on the big screen. Don't you think the audience will find your Nadigayin Diary repetitive?

When Anil told me the script, he specified that the film will portray the real Silk. Every person's life has two sides — the one he projects to the world for his professional reasons and the other one is his personal side. Only the person knows his real identity; what his likes and dislikes are, what his personality is like. This film will portray the personal side of Silk Smitha.

We've roped in the person who introduced Silk to the industry; he knows her on a personal level and he was able to help us out in knowing her as a person, as a woman. The Dirty Picture concentrated more on her professional front, while our film will showcase the positive side of her life. In a crux, this one will be Silk Smitha all the way, without light, sound, camera, action! Silk has been a phenomenal actress, and I'm happy I could bring her back on screen.

Are you afraid of being compared to Vidya Balan?

I'm not doing this film for awards. In fact, I don't think I've reached that calibre as yet. Vidya was like, WOW, in the film. I can't even think of competing with her. I'm not here to prove that I'm a better actress than her, that I can play Silk better than her. I just want people to relate to my vision of Silk; and it's a good opportunity for me to do a good film.

How has it been sharing screenspace with Salman?

I shot with him for just a day. Our schedule will begin from next month, and I'm preparing myself for my role. He's a fantastic human being, very giving and caring towards everyone. He will send out for every actor on the set, irrespective of wherever you are, and ask you to have lunch with him. He always brings a huge dabba of home-cooked food with him. We all sit together and joke around. Even on the first day, I didn't feel like I was working with a superstar.

You haven't signed on any straight Tamil film now...

I'm currently focussing on Bollywood. Mental is my big ticket, and I want to give the film my best. I'm exercising rigorously to stay in shape, discussing my look for the film with my designers and spending a lot of time with my family and friends. I will be shooting full-throttle for the film afterwards. I'm also busy doing up my new house. I'm really excited about moving into it with my family. I have one film in Tamil and so, unless I get a totally solid role in Kollywood, I don't want to hurry up and sign on any project just for the sake of it. You seem to have matured after your stint in the Big Boss... The three months in the house has made me 10 years more wiser.

I was gullible, took people at face value. In the house, I've been back-stabbed, have been cheated on. I can never talk behind my friend's back. My stint in the house taught me never to believe anyone immediately. I think before I act. Another thing that I learnt when I was in the house is about people's support. I was with people who were elder than me, far more famous, but I was moved when people voted for me, someone who was not famous in Mumbai, and helped me survive. In fact, when Salman Khan asked me how it felt to survive, I told him that it feels great to finish at the Top 3.

You've worked with all the top stars, including Shah Rukh, Akshay and Hrithik, in ads and videos earlier. Why was your B-Town entry delayed?
I don't come from a filmi background. That makes me a 'normal person' as well. I've developed the skill of talking only now. I'm not an extrovert, and I feel comfortable with a person only after talking to him for at least four days. Mostly, stars come with their own band of people, and the minute you go out of your way to speak to them, it sends out a wrong signal. My career took off only when it was destined to, and I have no regrets.

You've courted controversy all along... be it for your bold ads or the statement about actresses drinking. Does it bother you?
Most of what I say to the press gets twisted out of context, or only half of it gets printed. People don't give you the benefit of the doubt. There was a time when I used to worry, call up everyone I knew and clarify things. These days, I'm okay with controversies. People know that not everything they read is true. I can't control everything that people hear.