New relationship has changed me as a person: Payal Rohatgi

Mumbai: Controversial actress Payal Rohatgi, who is set to star with her boyfriend Sangram Singh in upcoming film `Valentine`s Night`, says her new love interest has completely changed her as a person.

Payal, 39, who was in the news last year after she accused director Dibakar Banerjee of trying to take advantage of her, said she has learnt to live life in a positive way without caring much about the controversies. "Sangram is the best thing happen to my life. I feel he understands me quite well. He has completely changed me as a person and if everything goes well we plan a better future together," Payal told reporters. Their upcoming film is a thriller based on romances brewing on social networking sites. "It`s a romantic thriller based on romances which brew on social networking sites. Sangram and I play the lead pair in the film. He is good co-star too. We have shot the film in Delhi and Noida and it will hit theatres on February 14," she said. Payal, who also made news on reality show `Bigg Boss` due to her apparent intimacy with Rahul Mahajan, said that the media has unnecessary played up the issue. "Media has always played up the issues about me thereby making it into a controversy. If I have been given a task at Bigg Boss house to enter into the swimming pool then I will definitely wear a swimming costume and perform the task with other contestants in my best possible way. But now these issues don`t bother me," she said. She will be seen after an hiatus of three years on the small screen with Star Plus` reality show `Survivor India`. "I give a lot of credit to reality shows for giving me an identity as an actor and so my audience will always see me in it. I took up this show because this is not like other shows because it has got nothing to do with public votes and wild card entries," she said. On the show, Payal will be seen in a de-glamorised avatar and will be struggling to get basic amenities of life with other 21 contestants on an island. "I have taken all those as challenges. The show has taken me completely to a different sphere of life where you struggle to survive in each moment," she added. PTI