Amisha Patel featured in hits like Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, Gadar — Ek Prem Katha and Humraaz. But the actress blames the media and critics for giving her heroes all the credit.

"Most of the media persons and critics have never praised me for my acting," she says. "Except a few, everyone is more interested in my personal life. The worse thing is that no one bothers to call and ask what is the truth."

Amisha, who is shooting a song for Suneel Darshan's Mere Jeevan Saathi, which co-stars Akshay Kumar and Karisma Kapoor, adds: "The critics and journalists can always run you down. But you can always bounce back with your talent. [But] I feel bad when something wrong is written about me, my friends, or my family without checking the facts."

In that case why was her response 'no comment' when the media asked her about the infamous episode between her parents and director Vikram Bhatt's mother?

"This is the problem," she says. "You all always want to know what is going on in our personal life. You all want the gossips and controversies. You all ask only those questions that will hurt me. You all never ask the right kind of questions. You never called or praised me when Gadar and Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai did well at the box office."

Bhatt's mother Varsha had filed a complaint against Amisha's parents Amit and Asha Patel at a police station stating that they had threatened her with dire consequences if her son did not maintain a distance from their daughter.

"I always felt that the pen is mightier than the sword, but damaging a person's reputation for no reason is wrong," Amisha continues. "I cannot stop the media if they misuse their power. It took me time to realise that newspapers sell because of controversies. But I am a very strong girl and so are my family members. I don't want to clear my personal problems through the media. Ultimately, the audiences see your work only on screen and are not interested in your personal life."

Amisha is indifferent to stars who create controversies to keep themselves in the news. "Whether the actors lie or not, I don't know," she says. "I have tried to be as honest as I can. If something is going to hurt my family and damage the reputation of my personal friends, then I will have to be diplomatic. I cannot hurt their emotions. They are important to me."

Speaking about her role in the forthcoming film Mere Jeevan Saathi, Amisha says, "She [her character] is very traditional. She is a very self-respecting and dignified girl. She is someone who understands that human beings can make mistakes. This film is very Indian [in flavour]. It is a pleasure to be part of this film. You can say it is a love triangle with fatal attraction."

Did she feel threatened working with an established actress like Karisma? "I have never felt insecure with any other actress," she says. "I cannot do all kinds of roles in films. I will get roles that suit my personality and sensibility. I won't be able to concentrate on anything if I start seeing what others are doing in their lives. Who is eating what? Who has signed which film? If I start doing that, I will not be able to do anything else."

Amisha dismisses her last few failures at the box office, saying, "It is okay. There are ups and downs in life. When Hrithik [Roshan] came on screen after Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, everybody said Shah Rukh [Khan] is out, bechara Shah Rukh, et al. But nothing of that sort happened to him. I feel every artiste faces all these things in life. I am hopeful that my forthcoming films besides Mere Jeevan Saathi, like The Rising, Vaada, Humko Tumse Pyaar Hai, and Elaan, will do well."