Payal: All set to make waves!

Actress Payal Rohatgi, who made her presence felt through her bindaas scenes, has now donned a look, which can only be described as very bold.
The lady has shed some weight, cut and coloured her lustrous locks and has been working in the gym to get a well-toned and leaner body. Payal tells NT about this new avatar and the secret man in her life.
The new look
Payal has gone for the new look to essay the role of an aerobic instructor in her film, Dil Kabaddi.Ask her to describe her role and she says, "The story is about the relationship between a husband played by Irrfan and wife played by Soha Ali Khan, and from whose life spark and enthusiasm are missing. I play Irrfan's lover, Kaya, who is an aerobic instructor. Hence, this leaner physique." And what about her dream man in real life? She answers with a giggle, "I'll let you know about that pretty soon. There���s someone on the horizon."
The vanishing act
Payal was last seen in Priyadarshan's film Dhol, and since then she has been out of circulation. Ask her about this gap in her professional life and she says, "I just did not want to go on a film signing spree or repeat my mistakes. Initially, I did not know which directors to work with. I did not ask who my co-stars were or who were the cinematographers. There was no one to guide me, and it was mostly trial-and-error formula for me. But, now things have changed. I want to work with directors who portray women in a simple, subtle, yet enchanting manner."
Home sweet home
Payal recently got her Mumbai home renovated and converted a bedroom into a walk-in wardrobe. "My home is simple and very graceful. It is spacious with very little furnishing and a lot of wood work. But, it is my wardrobe, which takes the cake. It has everything; right from my dresses to clothes, bags, shoes, accessories, make-up stuff and everything else one needs while getting dressed," says she.
Item numbers are cool
Payal Rohatgi, whose biggest claim to fame is her item song in Corporate, says the song scared her because it earned her the title of an item gal. "I am not averse to doing songs in films. But, at that time I was new and didn���t know how to handle things. I am more comfortable now, and have found my foothold here. Once I get proper recognition through my work, I will do item numbers again for good directors."