She is sexy, talented and television’s latest export to Bollywood. Sonal Sehgal, who vanished after her marriage, makes a grand comeback with her first film by Nagesh Kukunoor titled Aashayein. Sonal is paired opposite Bollywood hunk John Abraham.

In an exclusive chat with Tellychakkar, Sonal speaks on her debut film, playing chess with John Abraham, reasons why she left television and more. Read on..

Aashayein is set to release soon. Are there any butterflies in the stomach?

Yeah, of course! After all it’s my first film. I’m just counting the days. It’s a beautiful film and I hope it’s equally well received by the audience.

Tell us about your role and the film in general.

It’s a simple story about a couple who are in a live-in relationship. I play Nafisa while John (Abraham) essays the character of Rahul. Nafisa is a very calm and composed girl. Rahul goes through some trials and tribulation but Nafisa stands by her man in this hour of crisis. Aashayein is about not losing hope even when the chips are down.

How did you bag this role?

Well, I successfully auditioned for it. However, I didn’t get the green signal straightaway. After auditioning twice I didn’t expect it to come my way. It was only a week before the scheduled shoot that I was given the good news. Though late, it was a pleasant surprise.

Can you share your experience on working with John Abraham and Nagesh Kukunoor?

It was one of the best experiences. Nagesh is a thorough director. There aren’t many directors like him who would go into every minuscule detail of a character. He’s simply a delight to work with.

As for John, he is a thorough professional. There’s no air or starry tantrums about him which you normally associate with a Bollywood superstar. This makes all those around him comfortable. We used to shoot randomly, some times even 14 hours a day, but there never was a day when I felt fatigued.

Any interesting tales to share?

I’m very much into board games. I carry my Pictionary, Monopoly, Scrabble and chess boards wherever I go. John and I used to play during our breaks. The very first time that we played chess, John didn’t put much heart into it and as a result he lost. He was shocked by the result but it didn’t take him long to get even. From there on, it’s he who emerged triumphant.

TV actors have to dig really deep to make in Bollywood. Was the going tough for you?

I didn’t have to go out of my way to look for films. Hotel Kingston went off air in December 2005. Critics felt I’d quit the profession, but I had merely taken a break as I was physically exhausted. During those two years, I wasn’t sitting idle at home. I did few commercials. Two years later, I just happened to be lucky to bag Aashayein.

Now that you’ve got a foothold in Bollywood, is there no looking back at television?

I never said I was quitting nor did I make tall claims on my Bollywood career. I’ve always believed in doing work which offers me creative satisfaction. Even when I was on TV, I never did the run-of-the-mill stuff. In Saara Akash, I played a terrorist while in Hotel Kingston I was the spoilt rich brat. I’d never do anything which doesn’t appeal to my heart.

What according to you ails television today?

If you look across television today, it’s become stale. A particular show becomes a hit and then it becomes a trend as most producers come with the same subject. Besides, TV actors mainly work to pay off their bills. They seldom look at the creative satisfaction. Bollywood does keep a tab on them but for these actors to work in films requires them to devote full time. Since most of them have contracts, they aren’t left with any dates for films.

What goals have you set for yourselves in Bollywood?

I never planned a move from TV to films. All I want is to be part of good cinema and to work with good filmmakers. Television today doesn’t offer that but in no way am I trying to downgrade it. After all, it gave me the adulation.

What’s next after Aashayein?

Nothing as of yet and I’m not in much hurry to take a new film. Presently, I’m only focusing on my debut film. I’m of the view that your first film launches you, while the second establishes you. So, I don’t want to rush into committing any error.

As one who had assisted director Pradeep Sarkar, do you harbour such ambitions?

Yes, I hope to do that one day. My films will be very different but yet entertaining. Film-making is all about telling a story. Till you don’t have one, then you can’t make a good film.

How’s life after marriage?

Well, marriage has brought me immense luck. It’s enabled me to get my first film. It’s not just me but Naresh (her husband) too is taking great strides as a music director. He along with his brother Paresh and Kailash Kher have composed three songs for Nikhil Advani’s upcoming film Chandini Chowk to China Town. In addition to this, the trio will also compose for another film.

Well, one can say that it’s a golden period for both of us.

Any plans to start a family soon?

No, we simply don’t have time for that. We are concentrating on our respective careers.