With her turning 37 today, Ekta Kapoor admits that she doesn't like anyone to remind her she is 36 no more. Though she believes in numerology, she tries not to bother herself with number when it comes to her age. She tells us that she prefers to take one year at a time with all its ups and downs. "I had an awesome year with 'The Dirty Picture' garnering all the success. Which means just one thing — I'll have to better myself this year too. Now that's a challenge I'm well prepared for," she says.

Ekta won't be celebrating her birthday today with a huge party. At least, not tonight. Being a religious person, she's currently visiting Tirupati with her close friend Shalini. Interestingly, dad Jeetendra is also away on a holiday and she'll be having a low-key celebration with her mother only on her return to the city. The producer confesses that the people she looks forward to spending time with on her birthday are her friends and family. And she smiles and says aloud, "On every single birthday, we lose one year of our life, right?"

One of the strongest forces to reckon with in Bollywood today, Ekta is content with her professional life. However, she admits she can't say the same thing about her personal life. Ekta says, "I want to balance success in both my personal life as well as my professional. I'm looking forward to this year with a new attitude."

On whether she has a bucket list before she hits 40, she strongly denies having any. "I live for the day with the carpe diem spirit. I don't aim for long-term. I'd rather have short-term plans that are viable. This way, I work harder and accomplish stuff." There is, however, already buzz that Ekta has invited 40 people from the industry for a birthday bash on June 9. Now, it's anybody's guess as to who will make it to the coveted guest list. `