"Suzzane is a beautiful human being...same as all the other Roshans. They treated me well with so much love that the gossips about a romantic linkup did not affect me. Suzzane and I became close friends and stayed in touch even after the film completed," Barbara told PTI in an interview.
She said she just laughed off the rumours when she heard about it last year."I am used to such link ups. Back home in Mexico, every movie that I do, I have something to do with the leading man. In the initial stages of my career, I would get upset and even cry saying that the rumours are not true and I am not that kind of a person," she said.
The 32-year-old actress said she always wanted to come to India on a vacation and as luck would have it, she got to visit the country for the shooting of 'Kites'.
"I only knew that Bollywood was a huge film industry till my manager told me that an Indian producer was looking for me and asked me to get in touch with them. I flew to Los Angeles to meet Rakesh Roshan and Anurag Basu," Barbara said."We started talking about the film and I fell in love with the story. I was looking for something like that. At that point of time, I was going through many scripts but there was nothing like Kites," the actress said adding that after becoming part of 'Kites', she realised that Bollywood is bigger than Hollywood.
"But, we in Mexico do not watch Bollywood films. But, it will be known after the English version of 'Kites' releases there," she said.
Barbara watched movies of Rakesh Roshan, Anurag Basu and Hrithik to familiarise herself with her new crew. However, she did not like her co-star in 'Jodha Akbar' which was the first Hindi film she saw.
"The three long hours were unbearable. When I saw Hrithik in the film, I said to myself 'Oh My God, is he my co-star'. I felt like saying no to Rakesh Roshan and Anurag Basu. But, then I saw 'Lakshya' and 'Koi Mil Gaya' and I realised that he was an amazing actor. He is different in all his movies. He looks really good in 'Dhoom 2' but he is looking better in 'Kites'," she said.Barbara said she knew that dancing and singing was the highlight of any Bollywood film.
"I did a little bit of dancing in the film. But, the scenes have been edited out. Perhaps I did not do it well," she said.Even though Barbara said that singing and dancing were not her cup of tea, she was fascinated with Bollywood and will come back to India in January next year to shoot for another movie.
"It's a love story and I am yet to go through the script. Roshans are not producing it. But, I will definitely seek their advice," she said about the film which will be directed by Anurag Basu.
About her character in 'Kites', Barbara said, "Natasha is a Mexican girl who lives with her siblings and a sick mother. Hence she decides to travel to Las Vegas looking for work, money and opportunities to support her family. She meets Tony who is the richest guy in Las Vegas and decides to fall in love with him.
Later, she realises that he is not her true love and it is somewhere else. Natasha has to choose between true love and money. She speaks Spanish but learns English later."
Barbara said she also did some of her own stunts in 'Kites'.
"Hrithik got injured during one such sequence about breaking a window. He got a deep cut and had to be taken to a hospital. I did not hurt myself so it makes me better than Hrithik in action sequences," she laughed. The actress said she has just seen Goa during her stay in India so far.
"I want to see the Taj Mahal," Barbara who is leaving for Mexico on Saturday said adding that she will be back on May 19 ahead of the film's release on May 21.The actress also revealed that she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 29.
"That was three years ago. But, it was not serious and I had to undergo just a surgery. There was no chemotheraphy. Unlike Anurag Basu who was diagnosed with Leukemia," she said.Speaking about her experience battling the disease, she said cancer came to her life at a point when she was at the pinnacle of her success.
"I had everything in life...good family, successful career. But I was still complaining. Cancer taught me to realise that one had to enjoy whatever you get in life especially when your son and rest of the family is so good," she said.