Katrina says the fact that her earlier films did well at the box office was a "miracle", helping her weave the success story. "Had those films failed, nobody could have done anything for me. I don't think I would have got a second chance if the movies bombed," she said.

Finally consolidating her box-office appeal, graduating from a star to a superstar the year also saw Katrina take that decisive leap into the bracket of ‘performing’ actresses, High on her dream run, with the focus finally shifting to her ‘acting,’ from her hitherto song, dance and comedy routines, in Prakash Jha’s forthcoming political epic, Rajneeti, she says, “Everybody strives for an acknowledgement by their peers, the industry, and the audience. So it feels very good to be acknowledged and appreciated. I have been trying to blend myself in the industry through a variety of roles, and the films did well. One’s hard work needs to be appreciated, but I also credit my current success to the good advice around me. People are now trusting my abilities.”

Katrina feels that finding good friends was a very difficult task in the film industry. "It's a reality, actresses are forced to accept. You can be friends with a director and he may not take you in his next film. You may find people who you counted on, not standing by you during your low phase. One has to be careful on what basis you are building your friendships," she said.

On vibes she shares with other top Bollywood actresses, Katrina says, "Actresses are not friends because there is no time. We are too much into each other's space to be friends, but I am cordial with Preity Zinta, Kareena and Priyanka and we hang out whenever we meet.

As regards her female competition in the industry, ‘mum’ is the word for the new Ms Diplomacy. Quiz her on her female contemporaries, and she answers quite matter-of-factly, “It is not fair to get into comparisons and ratings.” Refusing to get drawn into the ratings game, she adds, “It really doesn’t matter what I think about them; what matters is what the directors’ think about them when they are casting a project. A good thing about our industry is the sheer number of films being made, while an individual at best can do only so few. There is enough room for all.”

But it’s definitely not the same bagging a room at the top, though success does come with its fair share of detractions. Katrina’s successful journey till date has often been credited to the invisible hand of Salman Khan steering her career as her mentor and lover. “I don’t think any amount of success will ever silence such insinuations as they are basically a creation of jealous minds. All those people, who have helped or recommended me like Salman Khan, and even Akshay Kumar, have given the same chance to so many other debutants. Salman has done films with other newcomers too like Sneha in Lucky, and now Zarine in Veer.”

The actress is appalled at how the media romantically links everyone with anyone "By doing this, media is discounting its own credibility. It is not possible to have so many link ups. This is the film industry and not a dating industry. One cannot be that fickle. We also have morals. Our professions may be different.. Even an infatuation does not change that fast," she said apparently referring to her rumoured relationship with co-star Ranbir Kapoor.

These little love nuggets might have come and gone, but her one ‘everlasting’ love story with Salman remains. Ask for an update and she lapses into tame refusals, “That’s a question I have never answered to.” But, with talks about Salman’s marriage once again doing the rounds, and his open admittance of having a girlfriend, does she still maintain that she is single? “Technically, you are single, until you are married,” she laughs, adding, “As an actor and a person, I know Salman very well. As regards, his role in my personal life, I would not like to talk about it. You need to live your life as well.”

Living alone in Mumbai was definitely getting to her. The actress admits she hates everything about living alone. “I don’t even know how to run a kitchen and there are days on end, when I am content to eat my bowl of fruit and drink coconut water because I just can’t get into the routine of telling the domestic help what to cook each day for breakfast, lunch and dinner It’s just me alone at home... and I honestly don’t know what to do I’m alone so I don’t bother with my meals,” she admits

Katrina, who has lost a few more kilos in the last few weeks, says part of her weight loss could be due to the fact that she doesn’t eat well. “I keep wondering if it is the heat that has caused this loss of appetite. Honestly, I don’t know. Something is bothering me and I can’t pinpoint what it is. But I just feel that if my family was around, I would enjoy a normal home life. It’s nice to have people at the dinner table.’’

After the hard-hitting Raajneeti, will she will be working on lighter films “I have Zoya Akhtar’s film with Hrithik Roshan next. Then I will be completing Tees Maar Khan with Akshay Kumar. By the end of the year, I start work on Dostana 2.”

Why did she opted out of Anurag Basu’s Silence was she afraid of sharing the same frame with a powerful performer Priyanka Chopra as suggested by some media reports “I need not do every film I am offered. It is not a romantic comedy that I can say yes to. It is a complex film. So may be there is something that may not be right for me. But even before I decide on the film, the media is already saying that ‘I hate Priyanka and I am at war with her. And so I am not doing the film.’ Do people think we are so comical and so flippant? One day they decide I am seeing somebody, next day I am seeing somebody else and the third day it is a love triangle. They make us look like we are some kind of insecure, childish, immature, disloyal, flippant and indecisive people.” Clearing the rumours she signs off.