S he has completed 370 episodes of Balaji's late-night thriller Kaahin Kissii Roz, yet she considers herself a learner. She is breathtakingly beautiful and vivacious by every yardstick, yet she gives herself only 6/10 when asked to assess herself.

Her character 'Shaina' has become a household name, but when told that, she just shrugs her shoulders. Clearly, an extremely modest girl whose head is firmly on her shoulders.

Settling down, she looks up and starts, "Let's take it from the beginning. Strange are the ways of life. You do your M.Sc, you end up as a journalist. You do your M Com, you end up running an electronics shop. Something like that happened with me."

Excerpts from an interview with Vickey Lalwani .

What's a Hotel Management and Mass Communication student doing in TV serials?
How did you know about my educational background? (smiles). I was coming to that, but I haven't yet told you about it. You have done your homework, I must say.

Thanks. But that isn't what I asked..
(laughs) Well, I am a science graduate from Kolkata. I came down to Mumbai to do my hotel management. Soon I realised that I wasn't cut out for it and left it midway. Then I joined a course in mass communication, but didn't complete that either! (laughs) At this point of time, I started getting many modelling offers. Despite my best efforts, I could not resist the temptation.

Did your parents consent easily to the fact that you were entering the big, bad world of glamour?
Not really. My mom didn't like it a lot. There was quite a bit of objection, in fact. Actually, she remains worried about me all the time even now when I am quite settled. I keep getting calls from her, every now and then. Her anxiety stems from the fact that I am a very, very fickle-minded person.

Like when I was in modeling, she used to feel I would leave modelling too, midway-- like I did to my studies. Then, when I got into TV, she again thought that I won't stick on. She feels I am still a kid. But I have grown into a responsible adult. I know how important it is for a woman to be financially independent in life. I am taking my acting career more than seriously.

What was your mom's objection, precisely?
I come from an educated family where people are settled in either a job or family business. Almost all my relatives knew hardly anything about this world. Entering the glam world was taboo for them.

Then how did you land up in Mumbai?
Actually, I came to Mumbai to do Hotel Management. I came with my best friend's sister who was a freelancer in Kolkata. She had secured a job as a copywriter in an ad agency. I started living with her on a twin-sharing basis. At that point of time, life surely wasn't a bed of roses. The cost of living kills, doesn't it?

Is Mumbai better than Kolkata?
I have developed quite a few friends who are very supportive. So, things are good. Mumbai is quite a safe city for a woman to be in. I like the fact that Mumbaikars don't look down upon women who stay alone. In most other cities, you won't get accommodation if you are a female from the glamour world who wants to stay alone.

Have you raised your voice ever in defence of a girl who is being sexually harassed?
Yes. I remember doing it against a guy in a shop. He was acting fresh with a 20-something. But do you know what I got in return? The girl's family asked me to lower my voice, they said 'it's okay, let him go'! Sometimes I wonder why most of us are so cold. Surprisingly, we take the first opportunity to blame the law without realising that there are four fingers pointing at you!

Tell us about the modelling assignments you have done.
Pears, Rin, Ariel, Close-Up, Double Diamond, Asian Paints, Sonam Quartz, Britannia, Maggie, Bombay Dyeing.

Gearing up for films? Your looks and figure seem to fit the bill...
I have received some offers. But none of those have been interesting enough for me to sign on the dotted line. I don't want do roles wherein I am required for two or three scenes. I am not ready to be projected as a mere showpiece. People will surely start saying 'she played such a noteworthy character of Shaina, what is she doing in the backdrop?' Today, talent in Bollywood has taken a backseat. Wearing minimum, talking brazen and PR has become the name of the game. I cannot expose my cleavage and midriff.

Besides, I am petrified of too much action. Like there was this scene I did recently in KKR , where my 'pallu' catches fire. The director did not want to use a dummy. I do not know how many times my heart skipped a beat.

Importantly, I would be uncomfortable doing overtly romantic scenes. Like, I don't think I could do Sangeeta Ghosh's lovey-dovey scenes of Des Mein Nikala Hoga Chand . It peeves me that there are no more serials like Udaan on air. In fact, such serials in today's times would be very timely. I cannot fathom why TV serial makers are either obsessed with showing females only as homemaker or homebreakers.

Do you agree that TV-types are not digested as heroines, easily?
Look at Gracy Singh. Her first film Lagaan almost won an Oscar for India! Agreed that Aamir Khan stole the show in Lagaan , but could Gracy's neat performance be discounted? Offers didn't fall into her lap as expected, but hasn't she had quite a few plum projects of late- like Honey Irani's Armaan for one?