India, June 28 -- We meet Sonakshi Sinha in the middle of a blazing summer afternoon for this special shoot. While the city slows under the weight of the heat, she seems to have arrived at a season of ease. The actor trades jokes with the team and radiates the kind of comfort that comes from knowing exactly who you are.

That confidence reflects in the women she has chosen to portray in recent years. From a determined cop in Dahaad and a courtesan in Heeramandi to her recent, a lawyer in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's System. Her characters have become increasingly layered and complex. Was this a conscious effort to seek out stronger female narratives?

"Hundred percent," she says, "I think it's only getting better and better with every project th...