Will they? Won’t they? It’s a question that many have been asking tennis ace Leander Paes and actress Mahima Chaudhary. All along, the couple have maintained a strict silence. The chirpy Mahima broke her silence while in the city recently and admits that she isn’t ready to say ‘I do’. Not yet.

“We aren’t thinking of marriage now. Both of us have our careers to concentrate on. This is my sixth year in movies. I’m yearning for more. I didn’t come into cinema to find a man and settle down,” she shrugs. “As of now, I like this courtship. I strongly believe in the institution of marriage but I haven’t yet felt within me that this is the time for a wedding.”

Mahima’s career is on an upswing after Baghban. And she’s on the drivers’ seat with a plum role in Tanuja Chandra’s Film Star, which “traces the transformation of an actor who depends on the spotlight for her existence. For this character Hira Pandit, recognition is utmost essential for survival. Thankfully, unlike Hira, I was always less self centred.” The film, says Mahima, has interesting observations made from in the industry.

Variety is the spice of Mahima’s life. She’s recently walked the ramp in Dubai and is now testing waters with an English film to be directed by Anupam Kher. “I don’t like getting struck in a mould. I’d love to do small movies with strong themes and maybe sometime, make a great product myself. In whatever I’ve done, I’ve been confident. I think I was born confident. I’ve dabbled with drawing cartoons, painting... All my pursuits have made me feel complete,” she says nonchalantly.

The one instance where her vivacious nature and self-confidence took a backseat was the flight journey to Orlando to be with an ailing Leander. “That journey was an ordeal like none other. Usually, I love flight journeys and catch up on sleep. But this time, I couldn’t catch a wink of sleep. I kept thinking how a small dot on the brain could cause such a threat. The episode taught me how even little things are invaluable in life. Wishing friends on birthdays or attending weddings mean so much when life is so fragile. It put life in perspective.”