Whatever the medium – I just love acting, says the Indian actor taking on ‘Happy Birthday Sunita’

I can't give away the ending (laughs). Well, like most Indian women, my character Tejpal puts herself on hold until her children grow up and her family is ready to do things for themselves. But just like most Indian women, she also doesn't let her children go, and her children don't let go of her. But a big part of her also wants to live a very different life. And she says, now I'm doing it, do what you like – which is so amazing, I think all the ladies in the audience will get up and clap! Really, guilt plays such a big part in most women's lives, especially Indian women!

I always believe that most of us have everything in us. We are the good and the bad. We are different people with different relationships and in different relationships. When I'm reading a part or when someone narrates a part to me, I can start visualising which part of me needs to come out for that particular role. We all have every bit in us. Every emotion is also ingrained in us. We are different people with different people. So I don't find that very difficult.

Of course, there are exceptions. Just before coming to England, I did a role where I couldn't identify with her (the character) because she was so evil and complicated. But then I connected with her because she was a mother and didn't want to lose her child. So I believe we all be everything, and I always find that very easy to delve into. Also, I often watch people – how they behave, react, walk, talk, and look and I pick up many things.

I've always wanted to be an actor. My mother was an actor, and I was a part of her children's creative theatre. I did theatre in school, college, and amateur theatre in Delhi, and then the natural progression was to move to Bombay (Mumbai), where all the work was. I was a part of India's first soap opera! So because of that, I came to Bombay with work in hand. And at that time, the television boom was beginning. So I did a lot of work on television for ten years. And then, after I had my daughter, I moved to Pune, where my husband works. And now I commute to Mumbai to work.

Films have taken precedence in the last ten years because I really don't want to give television that kind of time, which is about 25 days a month for the Indian daily soaps. But whatever medium it might be, whether it's the theatre from where I came, television, the web, YouTube films, or short films, I just want to act. I'm an actor. Hire me, give me a script, pay my fees, and I will work for you. And I'll make sure an audience sees it. That's all my target and logic is about this. I want to act as long as I can. I want to be part of this field for as long as I can, and after that, I'll just be at home and take care of my dog. (laughs)

I finished the three films I was working on before coming to the UK. There is 'Vaccine War', which will be released on August 15. There is 'Douranga 2', which comes out in July. And there is 'City of Dreams 2', which should be out, I think, by May end. And all three Directors were favourites of mine, from Rohan Sippy to Nagesh Kukunoor to Vivek Agnihotri.