Indian actress Anushka Sharma never much cared for movies. But her performances in five Bollywood features have won her critical plaudits and thousands of fans

By the time she was 15, Anushka Sharma was a financially independent model and still a straight-A student. Given how mean teenage girls can be, you’d think that might have made life tough in school.

Anushka Sharma chats with Filmfare about Ranveer Singh, infidelity and mindless cinema

You’ve been seen hanging out with Ranbir Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh a lot. Do all of you belong to the same group of friends?
See, I wouldn’t say that Ranbir, Shahid and Ranveer are one group of friends but when we get the time we definitely hang out together. I prefer hanging out with people more my age

Actor Anushka Sharma on her thinspired' avatar and why she won't settle for anyone who doesn't match her wavelength

She's got it all sorted out - her love for fashion that extends into her career, her camaraderie with co-stars and admits she's is not apologetic about anything. Anushka Sharma has been to Ahmedabad many times before, but feels that the promotional trips are so quick that she never has any opportunity to explore any city. She discusses all this and more in an interview with TOI. Excerpts from an interview:

For the past one year, actors Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma have been in news, more for their on and off relationship than the work they've done. And now, after setting the screen on fire with their latest flick, "Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl", Ranveer and Anushka field some questions to set the record straight.

Let's ask you 'the' question - are you guys dating?
Ranveer: She is a very good friend. Like I've said earlier, I confide in her. I look up to her and I think she's incredible. Whenever we get time, we catch up, go out for a movie or grab a meal. But beyond that, there is no relationship.

Anushka: You actually think I'll date him? Right now he's sitting here and doing all this sweet talk, next thing you know, he's chatting with another bunch of girls. We both are poles apart

Ladies vs Ricky Bahl brings back the Band Baaja Baaraat (BBB) team. Isn’t that too soon?

We never planned the film to cash in on the success of BBB. It just so happened that director Maneesh Sharma had a script ready and he wanted us (Ranveer Singh and herself) for it.

Since your pairing with Ranveer clicked in a big way, is there pressure to recreate the same chemistry?
We don’t take that pressure. Chemistry is not created by actors, it is on paper — ­between the characters. Ranveer and I focus on doing our best. We just follow instructions, read our lines and give our best.

How would you appraise your career so far?

People feel that I became a star after my first film, I don’t think so. Indeed Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi was a huge launch and I’m fortunate to have had it. It allowed me to not just look pretty but also perform. But there was very little hype about me. I didn’t become an overnight star. I didn’t go on a spree of signing big banners. There were no magazine covers proclaiming me as the next big thing. Nobody called me the “New It Girl”. My recall, for all intents and purposes, will remain Band Baaja Baaraat. All the love and recognition came after it.

Since her debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in 2008's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Anushka Sharma has established herself as the poster girl of Yash Raj Films. From Badmaash Company alongside Shahid Kapoor to Patiala House with Akshay Kumar, Sharma's performances are as big as her films.

With a surprise hit (Band Baaja Baaraat) to her credit and endorsement deals pouring in by the dozen, Anushka Sharma has become one of the most sought-after actresses in Bollywood.