SOHA Ali Khan is quite kicked about her film Chaurahein finally getting a theatrical release. “It has already done well in film festivals,” she says about the film that’s been directed by Rajshree Ojha, of Aisha fame.

Some of the other actors in the film include Ankur Khanna, Victor Banerjee, Roopa Ganguly, Zeenat Aman, Shayan Munshi, Suchitra Pillai, Arundathi Nag, and Sid Makkar. Although the film is not your typical masala fare, Soha feels that there are enough people in India who want to watch such kinds of movies. “Some films are aspirational,” she says, “But there is room for stories which don’t have a beginning or end. It’s like watching a few days in the lives of some people.” The film, with its own take on relationships, has three stories interwoven with each other. While one takes place in Mumbai, the others are based in Kolkata and Chennai.

Talking about her role, Soha reveals that she’s part of the story based in Mumbai. “It’s a relationship between a writer and this girl, who’re very different people. The stories in the film are of ordinary people, but told in a nuanced manner,” she adds.

Although the film’s up for release soon, it’s one of Soha’s first films, as she shot it in 2007. “It was Rajshree’s first film and one of my first films as well. I remember meeting her six years back when she narrated the story to me. The character had enough interesting moments for me to say yes to it,” she says.

The most important thing she’s learnt in her career till now, Soha says, is that the director is the captain of the ship. “Even if it’s a bad story, a great director can turn it into something brilliant. I’ve seen what a difference a good director can make to an actor’s performance,” says Soha, who has had a good end to 2011 with Soundtrack.

“The film didn’t receive even one bad review and I’m really proud of it as I had a difficult role in it,” she adds.

With Mira Nair’s Midnight’s Children, a rom-com chemistry and Sahib Biwi Aur Gangster Part 2 in her bag, she’s on a roll! “I believe I have grown by leaps and bounds in the last five years and created an identity of my own,” says the actress.