MUMBAI: Esha Deol has had eight film releases since 2005, ranging from hits like Kaal and No Entry to duds like Dus, Shaadi No. 1 and absolute flops like Ankahee and Pyare Mohan. Although the ratio of success and failure on her graph is far from proportionate, the actor claims that she has seen a distinct change in the way her career has shaped up in the past two years.

“Today, when I am offered a film, I enjoy the freedom of accepting roles of my choice and rejecting what I dislike. Two years ago, maybe, I couldn’t do that,” avers Deol. So, what exactly has changed?  “The approach of a filmmaker towards me has changed and my approach towards my work has also changed. Over the years, I have learnt from my experience,” she reflects.

Have criticism and comparisons between her and mother Hema Malini also been learning lessons? “I have a lot of resistance to pain,” says Deol, illustrating her point by flaunting her tattoos. “If I were a journalist, I guess even I would have compared an iconic actress and her daughter, like Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson. Thankfully, the media only compares me to the Dream Girl and not any contemporary actress, so it is alright!”

Deol adds that she would rather accept criticism than be falsely praised. “I can’t tolerate chamchas (sycophants) around me. Being an actress, you are always surrounded by people who constantly praise you. There are also people who may sound harsh, but actually point out the truth and thankfully, my friends and family are very honest.”

After Just Married, in which she plays the role of a newly wed, she has Darling and Cash for release in 2007. In Darling, she plays a friendly ghost and in Cash, she plays a female Schumacher, for which she even trained in a motor training school.