I’ve read that you've picked up beauty treatments like coconut oil hair massages and yogurt baths from your family. Are there any other Indian DIY beauty treatments that you swear by?

"There's this thing that my mom used to make for me whenever I got sunburns and my skin was acting up. It's made with flour, yogurt, tomatoes, turmeric, and a squeeze of lemon. You mix it up and put it on your body like a mask. Leave it on for 10 minutes, let it dry, and then scrub it off — it really polishes your skin."

It's interesting; Americans are kind of just now realizing the wonders of natural ingredients like coconut oil and turmeric.

"I'm so glad you guys discovered them — they should be something that the world uses. Coconut oil is like a tradition in the family, from a mother to a daughter in India. It brings them together and bonds them in a way... Turmeric is very healing, so whenever I was sick, my mother used to give me milk with turmeric powder in it. It heals you from the inside as well — it's magical. It's been used in India for thousands of years. In war, they used to put it on wounds."

Has your mother influenced you, beauty-wise, in any way?

"My mom has always been a woman who takes care of herself; she looks incredible every day. She's always been about presentation and being proud of who you are and what you look like — being the best version of yourself. She's very adventurous, so I think she helps me to try out different things — to see what works for me and what doesn't."

You faced some backlash for an ad you starred in for Pond’s White Beauty back in 2008. How do you think the standards of beauty differ in India from in America? And do you think they’ve changed since that commercial?

"The standards of beauty are different in every part of the world. In America, everyone's trying to get tan, and in India, everyone's trying to get fair — it's pretty funny. In any part of the world, judging someone's looks or judging how they are by the color of their skin is such a primitive thought. Somebody very wise said: Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Beauty is subjective."