When danseuse-actor Shobana finally directs her first film, it will be a crossover one...

Film to watch out for now: Pamela Rooks' 'Dance Like a Man', in which I star opposite Arif Zakaria. This is a role right after my heart. Set in the 1970s, it's about a couple that faces a lot of societal pressure, because they are into dancing, which in those days, was not considered a serious profession. I did not yet see the original play, much as I wanted to; I wanted to put in my own original inputs, as it were. We shot on a short schedule (22 days) in Bangalore, and the film should be released this month.

Winning the national award for best actress twice: Obviously felt very good both in 1994, and for 'Mitr' (My Friend) in 2002.

'Mitr': I think 'Mitr' clicked because it was not just about the cultural problems that most Indian women face abroad, but also because the character Lakshmi has her shades of grey, like all of us. She is a big nag (to her daughter), a cling-on (to her workaholic hubby), but at the same time, she is a sensitive soul, who finds herself alone at the end of the day and takes to chatting on the Net to unburden her woes.

The all women's crew in 'Mitr': A crew is a crew, man. It does not really make any difference to me, whether it's men or women. While making 'Mitr', it was like just my 223rd film, that's all. That it did manage to touch a chord in the audience is an added bonus.

Working with Revathy... was good because we belong to the same generation and share a good rapport. Since she is an actress of long standing, and this was her directorial debut, she had to be given her creative space, and she also took good care not to step on my toes! But there was a lot of unsaid communication between us, as we go back a long way.

Acting: I've been acting since the age of nine when I did my first Tamil film 'Mangala Nayaki'. I remember sailing right through the very nice experience, feeling no sense of discomfort or unease in front of the camera.

Dance: Whether it is traditional or contemporary or fusion, dance should convey a sense of aesthetics. If it's experimental, it should also convey a sense of euphoria or whatever it seeks to convey. Right now, I am wholly preoccupied with my dance academy Kalarpana in Chennai; we also have a branch in Muscat, which my ex-student is handling. Which is why I only do films that have short shooting schedules like less than a month and with scripts that are convincing enough.

Acting and dancing: Acting is the here and now; dancing, especially traditional dance forms like Bharata Natyam, are set in a centuries-old cultural tradition. Dancing is a more stylised form of communication.

Chennai: Chennai represents roots and inspiration to me, I grew up there and my guru Chitra Visweswaran is from here. My mother is a doctor; she was not into dance. My paternal aunts, the Travancore sisters - Lalitha, Padmini, Ragini - were, of course, a big influence in my childhood. Since I was an only child, I guess dance was a catharsis when I felt lonely.

Unwinding: Just chatting with a few good friends helps me relax. And I like reading (Paulo Coelho, Ken Follett, Sidney Sheldon) and watching good films.

Fave directors: Fazal, Bharathan, Padmarajan (all directors from the south)... In Bollywood, Karan Johar, Farhan Akhtar and also Rajkumar Santoshi.

Direction: Would definitely like to get into it some time, but it would have to be a crossover film, even if for only a niche audience, because like many of this generation, I am Indian, but think in English. But I would not like to waste my time looking for funds.

Settling down: To me, the phrase 'settling down' conjures up visions of dust! But yes, I definitely believe in marriage and children one day, but I believe you need to really work hard towards it. I have seen many happy marriages around me (my parents, cousins), we don't have divorces in the immediate family. But right now, I don't have the time for marriage. For instance, I can't 'keep' my child as a pet; I would like to bring her/him up with enough time and attention.