I make a great pair with Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh: Katrina Kaif

A different Katrina Kaif emerges in our latest conversation. Gone are the always terse, sometimes evasive answers. One could almost say she’s far more confident in her abilities and the man she loves than she’s ever been. Here, she talks about comparisons with Deepika Padukone, revelry with Kareena Kapoor Khan and appreciates Alia Bhatt’s acting. Along the way, she also confides on why she doesn’t want to turn producer just yet...

Kareena and you have been rivals, but that changed along the way. Would you say that’s because she now accepts you as family?
My supposed rivalry with Kareena at one point, let’s say which could be a discomfort which can sometimes occur between two actors, was never actually there. She’s always been very supportive and fond of me. I remember I met her at Amrita’s (Ladak nee Arora) party at Olive and that’s my first distinct memory of Kareena being super warm to me. I was very surprised because it’s not everyday that you meet someone so genuinely warm. And from that day on, she’s always been like that with me — very genuine, going out of her way to be kind and encouraging and supportive. Even if there have been times where we could have been supposed rivals that was something she somehow never saw. She could’ve pushed herself to a category above me to give herself a more superior image but instead has always spoken of her and me together. Only a very confident person is able to do that and it doesn’t happen often between two actresses. It’s a genuine thing and not just for show or because she sees me as family today.

Do you see films of the newer lot of actresses? Who has impressed you the most?
I’ve seen Alia in Student Of The Year and Highway, Shraddha in Aashiqui 2, ABCD2 and Ek Villain. I think Alia is extremely natural and her charm is unique, it’s not common. She’s not following  or imitating anyone. Shraddha is very sincere in the films she’s done. There’s a relatability to whatever she does.

Everyone from Priyanka to Anushka are producers now. Want to produce a film at some stage?
I was the first one to make an announcement. That’s the thing with me, often I get great ideas, talk about them but then I don’t do it. Then the world goes by and everyone starts their own productions. I get the idea first but then I don’t do it (laughs). I realised that the kind of person I am, I get overly involved with everything. Right now, I am just an actor and don’t have time to cover all the facets that I would want to. If I turned producer, I’d have to stop acting. I don’t have the capacity to do both. Right now, I am in a very interesting place with the kind of work I have to give it up for production.