"I don't do films to prove anything to anyone. Nobody pin-pointed a finger at me about my acting. Right from my first film, people said I had a great screen presence. They said that she acts well and dances well. So I did not have anything to prove in that department," Sonakshi told PTI. Sonakshi, who made her Bollywood debut with Salman Khan-starrer 'Dabangg', later did films like 'Rowdy Rathore' with Akshay Kumar and 'Son of Sardar' with Ajay Devgn. She feels actresses have an equally important role in commercial cinema. "There are roles written in masala films for actresses too. Otherwise the films would have been made with actors only. I think even actresses have a part to play in commercial films," she said. The 26-year-old actress says she enjoys watching and doing 'masala' entertainers. "It is more challenging to make a film like that because they are larger than life. It is not something that happens in real life. In a film like 'Lootera', the lines are colloquial... very conversational... The way we talk in real life. Whereas in masala films, the dialogues are larger than life. So to do something is also challenging in a way, but it is lot of fun as well," she said. While films like 'Dabangg', 'Rowdy Rathore', 'Son of Sardar', 'Dabangg 2' brought box-office success for Sonakshi, 'Lootera' brought her critical acclaim. "I feel 'Lootera' was once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was a beautifully-written role. When it came to me people told me I won't be able to do it. So I took it up as a challenge to prove them wrong, but not to prove that I can act," the actress said. However, despite giving several hit films, Sonakshi feels that she is not competitive.

"I have never been a competitive person from the start. I don't know what my contemporaries are doing. I don't know who has signed which experimental film. If everybody is jumping into the well it does not mean I will also do it. I have always done things on my own terms and conditions without looking left or right," she said. She is now looking forward to her upcoming film 'Once Upon A Time in Mumbai Dobaara' a romance drama by Milan Luthria. For this film Sonakshi has teamed up with Akshay Kumar for the third time, after 'Rowdy Rathore' and 'Joker'. She had also done an item song in Akshay's home production 'Oh My God' and his forthcoming film 'Boss'. "I respect him a lot he was my second co-star after Salman Khan. We have a very good work rapport. That is why we have worked so many times. When you share a good rapport with someone it is always easy and nice to work with the actor," Sonakshi said. In 'Once Upon...' Sonakshi will be working with Imran Khan, an actor from the younger lot. However, when asked the actress says she is not concerned about the age of her co-stars. "I don't look at the age when I work with somebody. It is all about forming a proper working relation be it with a actor or director or producer, age is not a concern for me. The seniors have lot of experience so there is lot more that you can learn from them. It is nice that I started off with them and got to learn a lot in the first few films," she said.