'Size zero not for me': Sonali Bendre

Sonali Bendre is one of the few Bollywood actors who doesn't panic over a few extra kilos. While in Kolkata to inaugurate a restaurant-cum-lounge in Kolkata, the 'hot bod' tells India Blooms correspondent Sreya Basu why she is not bothered about a 'Size Zero'figure

You seem to have joined Bollywood's 'glam mom'club…
Why?

You still look the same 'Humma Humma'girl from 'Bombay'…
(Laughs) No yaar! I have put on weight and that too almost eight kilos! I am not fit as I should be. It's just because of my thin structure (thanks to my genes) that you still think I am all that 'slim trim'…actually I am not.

So, you feel bad when you see other actors sporting a better figure?
Why should I feel so? I have a decent figure; I am happy with my figure…it's just that I am too busy with my kid and family that I can't take out time for regular workouts. But once I start working on my figure, I will be back to my old self. As it is, 'Size Zero'is not for me. I feel a woman should have a feminine figure.

You always carry a very stylish look. Who styles you up?
I don't want people to crowd around me and give advice on what I should and shouldn't wear. Style comes naturally to me. Comfort is always a priority, but that doesn't mean, just for the sake of comfort I will wear some silly stuff and make myself look tacky. I don't go by the fashion trends of the day, but mix-and –match clothes to find what looks good on me. The funda of looking stylish is to ask yourself-'Am I looking good in this outfit?'If the answer is 'yes', then only go for it. If you yourself don't approve of your looks, why expect others to appreciate it!

What do you generally like wearing?
On a day-to-day basis, no one can carry designer clothes. I am cool in denims and cotton shirts. Again if the occasion is gorgeous, I prefer wearing something like I am wearing now (a printed grey-golden one-shoulder Ranna Gill outfit).
What's that one accessory that you can't do without no matter what you are wearing?
It's my signature nose-pin. I love it.

What is the funkiest hairdo you have done so far?
I generally don't experiment with my hair. Once I chopped it short (everyone said I am looking 'cute'), and now I have got red streaks in my hair. Now you tell if you find any of these two styles funky! (Smiles)

What are the things that you always carry in your purse?
Hand sanitizer, mobile phone, lip balm, mascara, kajal and my Omega watch (I don't carry it in my purse, though).

How has marriage changed you?
It hasn't changed me…it's just that I have got some new responsibilities. Marriage is not synonymous to change, but a new dimension to life.

And what about motherhood?
Now that I have become a mother, I can realize what are the issues my mother faced while bringing me up. I am still hot-tempered, but have grown more patient…have learnt to let go certain things in life.

Don't you think marriage and motherhood have deprived the 'actor'Sonali Bendre?
My son is too young and I need to be with him now. So I am not taking up films or too many of other projects at the moment. But that's a conscious decision. I had a fulfilling career as an actor, now I want to enjoy being with my family. It's not that I have quit my career, but am going slow on it. My priorities have changed.