Interview By Sanjeev Srivastava BBC India correspondent

Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai is now at the prestigious Cannes film festival. Before she left, she spoke to the BBC, decribing it as an honour and a responsibility to be associated with the festival.

She is the first Indian actor invited to sit on the jury for international films at the Cannes festival, which begins this week.

Rai: Career took off after winning Miss World

Aishwarya Rai is Bollywood's reigning Goddess.

A former model and Miss World she has been described as one of the most beautiful women in the world.

But after a rather wooden and forgettable start on the silver screen , she has evolved as a mature actor and critics have hailed her performance in films like Dil De Chuke Sanam, Taal and Devdas.

And now she is on the threshold of international stardom - she is playing the female lead in British director Gurinder Chadha's next film.

There is even speculation of her landing plum Hollywood assignments.

Her personal life however has hardly been a Cinderella-like story.

Her relationship with Bollywood superstar Salman Khan made headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Rai finally ended the relationship last year and even issued a statement saying Khan not only used to beat her up but even cheated on her.

Next Bond girl?

However in an interview with the BBC Aishwarya said she has no regrets and given a chance would live the same life again:

Q. How does it feel going to Cannes?

A. It's very very humbling, an honour. To be a part of the international film at Cannes -its like the Oscar of film festivals. But its also a responsibility and I don't forget that for a single minute. Last year I was there at the premiere of Devdas - the first Indian film to be premiered there.

Q. You are being described by many as the first Indian star likely to make it big in international cinema. Does it make it nervous? Do you feel weighed down by expectations?

I do not want myself to be defined in any particular way. I want to be versatile. Aishwarya Rai

A. I haven't gone out looking for new horizons but new opportunities have come to me and it will be disrespectful of me if I don't explore them. There is stuff happening -to begin with there is Gurinder Chaddha's film. Then there is Roland Joffe's Invaders but we are still concretising schedules. From your perspective it becomes interesting when opportunities get titles. For me it's just being a part of cinema -be it Hindi, Bengali, Tamil or English. For me it's the director, the role, the team, sometimes the film which is important.

Q. There's also speculation about you being the next Bond girl.

A. There were some people who came to Nasik when I was in the hospital, recovering from my accident. They were not really agents casting for the Bond movie. Maybe they were agents for the agents. But I don't know much at this stage. I am told they are right now only at the scripting, not casting, stage for the next Bond movie.

Q. Last year you starred in what turned out to be the most expensive Indian film ever-Devdas. And now you have starred in Choker Bali, a film made on a budget less than your fees.

A. I took Devdas for the role and the director. It so happened that it turned out to be the most expensive film. But that never was the angle for me. And Choker Bali -what better combination can an actor ask for. A director like [Rituporno] Ghosh, a Tagore story and a character like Binodani.

Q. On Indian screen so far you have been quite particular about how you portray yourself. No kissing, no nudity. Will it remain the same if you go West?

A. I am particular about everything I do. I do not want myself to be defined in any particular way. I want to be versatile. The effort is still on towards that. What I do and not do is all about its all about the script. Conviction about the script, conviction about the role and in the director's mode of essaying his perception. If I have absolute conviction in how and what the director wants to essay on the screen and my comfort levels are met -whatever they are at that point of time-I will go ahead and execute it.

Q. Your personal life has not exactly been a Cinderella tale

A. I take every experience in life as a part of learning. As a part of growing. I don't know with time I feel with growing conviction that my life and its experiences is for a reason� and I am here with all these happening in my life - good, bad, ugly - for a reason.

Q. Would you live it the same way all over again?

A. Oh yes! Completely. With all its experiences. It's enriching me and I am growing. It's all a part of growth and life is cyclic.