I don't know where things are going wrong. I refused 22 offers for lavani numbers and five films. I was not happy with the kind of offers coming my way. Even for the lavani number 'Vajale Ki Bara' in 'Natarang,' I was the last option. I was finalised one day before the shoot was to begin.

Commercials certainly pay more than films. I was pleasantly surprised at the profitability of commercials when I did my first ad for a popular soap brand years ago. I was paid a huge amount of money for a mere 30 seconds of screen presence. After that, ads have been a regular feature in my career.

I don't regret any of my decisions. But yes, I feel that I should have planned my career well in Bollywood. But then again, I did not have any guidance. There was no one to tell me the dos and don'ts.

Though films have established me as an actor, dance has given me an identity and a boost to my career, and I am thankful to God for that.

If I was a father, and my son told me he wanted to go out and be a publisher, I'd say, 'Go get a job.'

First and foremost, I feel very lucky to have the family I have, so I would like my family to stay happy and healthy.

My parents have influenced my fashion choices. I inherited many of their older garments, and I like their style. I love my mother's elegant and dramatic couture dresses and the feeling for colour my father has.

My mother, a teacher, encouraged me to use my creativity as an actual way to make a living, and my father, a Mississippi physician, did two things. First, he taught me that all human beings should be treated equally because no one is better than anyone else, and he never pressured me to become a doctor.