MUMBAI: Despite running a full-fledged, highly successful NGO called No More Tears in the US, actress Somy Ali says that she is still referred to as superstar Salman Khan’s ex-girlfriend. She feels that this tendency of the Indian audience needs to change. “It makes me sick to still have that affiliation. I have worked my butt off with my organization No More Tears, but it’s unfortunate that not only the masses, but even the educated, can’t see past my association with him. I am happy to see progress in my country though with the likes of Kevin Spacey, Woody Allen, Harvey Weinstein, and Bill Cosby being held responsible. Hopefully, one day, the same will happen in South Asia,” she says.

The actress feels that she is in the best phase of her life at the moment. “This is definitely the best phase of my life as I am so much wiser than I was in my 20s. I still trust people easily and that part of me unfortunately I can’t change no matter how hard I try, but the good thing is that I have learned to get rid of them as quickly as I trust them once I know their true intentions. As for being single, I have always been very self-reliant, so it has not impacted my life at all. People come and go and the sooner we learn to accept that, the less likelihood of us getting hurt,” she says.

Talking about her days as an actress, Somy says that the industry often took her by surprise. “I never struggled. In fact, I was laughed at for residing in Sea Rock hotel and having a driver drive me to Kishore Namit’s acting school. In two weeks of my being in India, I was signed for Bulund, a film opposite Salman. Salman saw my portfolio pictures at Far Productions and called me to act as a leading lady opposite him in his home production,” she says, adding, “I was so surprised to see that there are camps and everyone realistically has their own entourage. The hero has the power to approve or disapprove who he wants as his leading lady.”

Talking about her first day at shoot, Somy says, “It was a song shot in Goa with Sanju “Dil to khoya hai yahin pe kahin pe” and I was terribly nervous, but I recall how comforting and kind Sanju was to me and soon after I felt more confident.”