Apart from shooting for Raavan, Endhiran, Guzaarish and Action Replay, Ash also has other professional commitments to honour which takes up a lot of her time. But hey, she’s not complaining. After all, she is the face of some of the most popular brands across the world. “I’ve always been very selective about the brands I endorse. There’s no rat race. Every endorsement has a story behind it. The bottom line is, I don’t like endorsing brands which are anywhere and everywhere,” explains Ash. 

And what about rumours of a jewellery brand dropping her for Katrina Kaif? “I would like to say this loud and clear; I chose not to renew my contract with the jewellery brand,” affirms the actor setting the record straight. “I had a contract with another brand under which that particular jewellers came. Once they parted ways, I decided not to endorse them anymore,” she goes on to explain. 

Taking the opportunity to put to rest the talk about her being dropped by other brands due to her age, Ash said, “No one ever dropped me. I chose not to renew certain contracts. Like the one with the cola brand. Post marriage I decided not to endorse them anymore as Pa and Abhishek were endorsing the rival cola brand. I didn’t want any confusion in the consumer’s mind,” she quipped. 

With film and endorsement offers pouring in, Ash is indeed a busy woman just like she was a few years ago. Unlike others, marriage doesn’t seem to have slowed her down. “Earlier, it was tough for a heroine to get work after marriage. Their so-called brand value would depreciate. That didn’t happen with me, as I've always aspired to push the envelope,” she explains. 

But she does not take the credit for this alone. “I have to thank the professionals I’ve worked with. They were not regressive and changed with times,” she says. And unlike other contemporaries, Ash always seems pretty secure and confident of her career. “And why not?” she asks going on to add that, “Throughout my career I’ve never said things like, ‘I’m not ready for marriage now’, or ‘marriage will happen only after five or six years’. When I was ready for marriage, everybody knew. I’ve never given escapist quotes.” 

But now that she is married into the first family of Bollywood, doesn’t she want to take it slow? “I have a secret pride, you know. I’ve always wanted to work after marriage and I couldn’t see why that should change after I tied the knot,” says Ash, while adding immediately, “Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not a hardcore feminist. I’m a humanist.”