Anushka Sharma has been busy shooting for Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl with Ranveer Singh in Goa. But wasn’t she only committed to a three-film exclusive contract with Yashraj Films? Why a fourth movie after Rab Ne Bana De Jodi (2008), Badmaash Company (2010) and Band Baaja Baraat (2010)? Is it because she can’t say no to mentor Aditya Chopra?

The actor insists that she was never tied down to an exclusive contract with Yashraj. “Yes, Adi is my mentor, but he doesn’t decide which movies I should do, nor does he make movies for me,” she grouses. “I take his help when I’m in need, and if he has a script he feels will suit me, he approaches me without any pressures whatsoever to take it on. If I’m doing a fourth film with Yashraj, it’s only because Adi respects my talent. Period.”

Lately, there have been rumours about Anushka acting pricey. She apparently refused to promote Patiala House earlier this year. “I did more for it than any other film of mine. Yashraj doesn’t promote its films much, but for Patiala House, I toured five cities in one day,” she protests, adding, “The film was not the usual Akshay Kumar comedy, but it did get me plenty of respect as an actor.”

There’s been talk of her refusing to stand in place for cameramen and light men who were adjusting the light set-up of the Ladies V/s… shoot in Goa. That draws an outraged gasp, “I’ve learnt to shrug off speculation on my personal life, but when journalists write false stories on my professional life, it bugs me. I’m not a trained actor, so I go the extra mile for any unit.”

She points out that the assistant directors on the set are much shorter than her, so they can’t stand in for her. “I’m willing to swim in the middle of the ocean for hours if it helps the shot,” she asserts. “But sometimes, it was the director of photography who would argue that it was too hot for me to be a ‘model’ actor. He’d point out that my make-up would streak and we couldn’t have the heroine not looking good. That’s the only time I’ve reluctantly given in to his superior wisdom.”