'I won't be mere arm candy to heroes'

Her performance in her debut Pokiri is still widely discussed and she refuses to follow the ways of the industry. But Ileana D'Cruz says she's here to stay.

She's just back from Mauritius after shooting for her forthcoming Telugu flick, Aata, with Siddharth. "It was a song sequence choreographed by Saroj Khan. And considering what a tough taskmaster she can be, I was really nervous. But know what? She actually liked my moves and said I was a good dancer.

It's one of the best compliments I've received in my career," says Pokiri star Ileana. There are reports that her co-star Siddarth has taken his Rang De Basanti success a tad too seriously; he is supposed to have taken over the megaphone from director Aditya and is now ghost directing the film.

"That's utter rubbish," says Ileana. "Siddharth is a very intelligent guy and likes improvising on content. In fact, all of us give inputs, so why single out Sid? He just offers suggestions he feels might work for the film," defends Ileana. So is Aata yet another of those films where the heroine is mere arm candy for the hero?

"It really annoys me to play arm candy to heroes! I hate it when I'm only required to up the glamour quotient; it's not acceptable to me. Some girls get carried away and within no time they're thrown out of the industry. I'm not one of them — acting is about talent, not showing off your booty," says the actress.

Ileana says she's unfazed by the intense competition in the industry. "In fact, I'm on the lookout for competition," she says. "It eggs you on to do better. But otherwise all this talk of backstabbing and catfights is all c**p," says Ileana.

As proof she narrates a recent incident: "I was doing a film with Tamanna and both of us would be punching and elbowing each other and generally having a good time on the sets. Soon enough there were news reports saying that Ileana and Tamanna were seen indulging in a catfight. That was really hilarious," she laughs.

Competition or not, right now Ileana is considered the numero uno actress in Telugu. "I'm working towards it and am almost there," she says. "Besides, I've worked with the best heroes and anyone who looks good with me is welcome to work with me!"