I did a Telugu film after long, it was like homecoming," beams Tabu, elated that her latest release, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, has become a runaway hit. Dressed in a white kurta, and sipping on an almond cappuccino, she wears a look of contentment, one that probably comes from the film's success. Before the month ends, the actor will have another movie hitting screens—Jawaani Jaaneman.

Mention the Saif Ali Khan-starrer to her, and she lights up. "[My character] is free-spirited, almost like a hippie. She randomly gets into relationships, and has a child out of wedlock. As actors, we are searching for something that can show us in a different light, and this film offered that. It's a cameo but I knew I wanted to do this film at the first [reading]. This character is whacky and deserves a stand-alone film," she laughs.