Ekavali Khanna:Roles not controlled by conventions of beauty excite me

Actress Ekavali Khanna, whose visibility in the film industry has got a boost with "Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain" and "Veere Di Wedding", says roles which are not glamorous allow transformation and break the conventional understanding of beauty are what attract her.

"Every genre comes with its own share of learning and wealth of experience. Having said that, doing roles which are unglamorous and have room for physical transformation in look and performance, and are not bound and controlled by the conventions of beauty, excite me," Ekavali told IANS.

Recounted how she broke convention, she said: "I did a cameo in 'Daas Dev' where I turned my hair all salt. I was so tempted to break the mould, and in an unexpectedly nice way it was liberating."

She especially pointed out her role as Najma in Norwegian film "What Will People Say", which also stars Adil Hussain and has been traveling to various international film festivals, garnering positive reviews.

Talking of film festivals, Ekavali won the Best Actor Award for "Angrezi Mein Kehte Hein" at the Ottawa Indian Film Festival Awards held in Ottawa, Canada last month.

With the inimitable Sanjai Mishra as her co-star, Ekavali plays one half of a middle-aged couple, whose changing relationship the movie explores to tell how just loving someone is not enough and expressing that love is equally important.

In real life, Ekavali is a single mother of two sons.

Striking a balance between her personal and professional life is something the Kolkata-based actress is doing with pride.

"Being a loving mother who is always there for her kids has been as important for me, as my career. I value my work and my relationship with my sons.

"Being a mother hasn't in any way got in the way of my work or career. In fact, it has empowered me, provided me with emotional strength and stability. The kids have been a huge source of love and encouragement which is all one needs to prosper and grow," she said.