Anyone who has known Bipasha Basu will tell you that she has always been upfront about her life. In an industry that has taken the term "good friends" to a whole new level, this actress has never shied away from acknowledging the men in her life. It may have come as a surprise when, after almost a decade of being the 'it' couple, Bipasha and John Abraham recently called it quits, but as the actress puts it - "Life couldn't be better". We caught her in a chatty mood... How is life as a single woman? Great. I am getting lots of attention, and I must say I'm loving it all the way. Attention from co-stars, men in general? Everyone. Most of my co-stars are men, and yes, I'm getting a lot of attention from them. Is the industry also viewing you in a new light? Yes, people are seeing me in a different way. It's different when you are single in this industry. As an actress, it makes a difference too. How? Your synergy levels with your co-stars are completely different. If people know that you're in a relationship, that too with a man from the same industry, they keep a safe distance.

I too was aloof before, and would keep a distance from most co-stars. Today, I am friendlier with them. And by friendly I just mean that - friendly. I am more open, more approachable, and very, very talkative. Ask Madhavan, we are working together these days, and he can't help laughing at me. I've suddenly become this very funny girl. So, you're saying directors, actors will find you more approachable now? It's a small industry, and not all that has changed when it comes to roles for women. In such a small place, who you please, who you don't, matters. There are circumstances, there are camps... You'd be foolish to think these things don't matter.

Which camp do you feel closer to? I belong to no camp. If you look at my career graph, you'll see that there is no one director who has made me. But it's a good feeling now because I am working with the same directors with whom I started my career. I'm doing Players with Abbas-Mustan, "Raaz 3" with the Bhatts.... There were rumours of you cooling off with the Bhatts... Those are just rumours. How can I cool off with the people who have given me "Jism" and "Raaz", the two biggest hits of my career? I just had one demand, I told Mr Bhatt 'you have given me such fantastic roles to play as a woman in an industry where we don't get to occupy much screen space, write something that surpasses a "Jism" or a "Raaz". He did. and I signed "Raaz 3".

So, life's sort of coming a full circle? Yes, it has. It was Vikram Bhatt and Raaz that got me interested in the medium of cinema. Before that I was like any other youngster dabbling with various things - modelling, films - without a definite direction or focus. Now that I'm working with all of them, life has come full circle for me. Was your break-up with John amicable? No. It was definitely not amicable. No break-up is ever amicable. Otherwise, no one would break up. There are always reasons. Otherwise, there won't be any break-ups.

How did you handle your break-up? I believe everything negative that happens in your life is for a positive reason. If your heart breaks, you know that you are a human being and it happens. But you can't mope over it. There's only one life. You better get on ahead and fast. Fast enough not to let your past ever catch up with you.

Do you think you should have called it quits earlier? No. The time was right to end it, no regrets over it. You seem very positive... I am a positive person. I am not cynical. If you are born in this world, no matter who you are, negative things will happen. If you aren't positive as a person, you'll be very unhappy. It's extremely important to be positive, to laugh, to be happy, to accept life as it comes.

You've been pretty dignified about your break-up... I have been brought up with good values. People think I am this Bohemian person, God knows why. Maybe because I wear backless clothes! But I am disciplined and firm. And in my profession where everything happens under the spotlight, there's no other way than to be dignified. Or the mud would be flung in your direction.

Do you trust people completely in a relationship? I have blind trust in people. Even if that ends up hurting me, I won't change. I will go on trusting people because that's the only way I know to love someone. You must have been a very dedicated girlfriend... Ask anyone who has dated me. In fact, ask my mom. I once wanted to turn vegetarian from being a hardcore carnivore, for love. I even told my mom that I was only going to wear salwar-kameez! She almost fainted. I've always been a spaghetti-and-shorts kinda person. I was 15 then, of course. No man can tell me what to wear anymore.

How was it working with Josh in 'Singularity'? The film was a challenging experience because I've never done an English-language film. There were tough action sequences and there were times that I thought I would give up. But... But... My friends told me I was mad to even think of leaving a Roland Joffe film. And Josh Harnett was hot! How hot? HOT, HOT! As hot as a man can be. No pretences. I've always liked men who didn't have to try too hard to be macho... you know the ones who'd pump iron for hours or be smooth operators. Josh is a perfect example of how a man should be - effortlessly smart and hot.

So, why aren't you with Josh? You're single now... Yes. But he's single somewhere in New York, and I'm single in Mumbai. Sigh... What else is keeping you busy these days ? House-hunting. I am looking for a house with an open kitchen. I am a passionate cook and I love to entertain friends and cook for them. But in my current home, if I concentrate on the cooking, I lose out on the fun because of a closed kitchen. So, that's top priority now.

Did you finally learn to drive? (Shhh...) I'm still learning (whispers). I have decided to treat myself with a Beetle as I realised that's the only way I'd be forced to learn driving. I hate being dependent on other people to drop me home. You see, there was a time when I called myself a morning person, but these days, I'm a night creature. And I don't want random people dropping me home at wee hours.

You are called a sexy actress. Are you comfortable with it? Very comfortable. Sexy isn't what you wear. There have always been actresses who are simply sexy for who they are. Sharmila Tagore was one of them. In the '80s, Parveen Babi and Zeenat Aman took sexy to another level. I don't think even current actresses can match them. Some women are just sexy.

Is it difficult to keep a man interested? It doesn't take much to keep a man interested. It's when women like you, and I'm talking just appreciation here, that you know that you've done something right in your life. So, you are a woman's woman or a man's woman? I love men. Don't get me wrong. Women are balanced, more sorted and better human beings.