The 25-year-old actress couldn’t help but sing praises of the actor-hotelier after he cooked a simple vegetable curry on the sets of the Sajid Khan directed sequel of ‘Houseful’.

“I was amazed with what Mithunda had cooked. I asked him for the recipe and he was so sweet to explain it to me as well. I wonder though whether I would be actually able to replicate what he had made. It was easily the most delicious curry I have ever had and the very fact that Mithunda had cooked it for us made it all the more special,” Asin said.

Though Asin and Mithun had been cordial with each other during the days spent on ‘Housefull 2′, it was food that further broke the ice for them. They struck a conversation and to the surprise of the actress, Mithun knew everything about her work not just in Bollywood but also down South.

The ‘Ready’ actress said that the veteran actor also made an observation that she came with just the right personality that allowed her to be paired opposite younger as well as older heroes. “Mithunda shared with me a few tips on enjoying a long and productive innings in the film industry. He didn’t have to do that but I guess that’s part of his intrinsic nature to take youngsters under his wings. He was so sweet and encouraging. There was so much fun on the sets when he was around,” she said.

Asin, who made her Bollywood debut opposite Aamir Khan in ‘Ghajini’, says she is looking forward to resuming all the fun in the next shooting schedule of the film. “Yes, it is going to be a month long schedule and I can’t wait to reunite with my London gang out here in Mumbai. I am sure it is going to be ‘house full’ of fun all over again,” she said.

Says a source, “They have always shared a mutual admiration for each other and have interacted in the past but this is the first time that they worked together. Both got along like a house on fire and the actress was thrilled that she finally got a chance to work with him in some capacity.

She found Raju very easy-going to work with. That wasn’t all. The director even celebrated his birthday on the sets (the Sophia College canteen) after the shoot got over with Asin singing “Happy Birthday” to him. While Asin has left for Krabi, Thailand to shoot her next film both have kept in touch. She says, “I had a fun shoot. It was a lovely experience working with Raju. He is so simple, down-to-earth and uncomplicated.”

On the Housefull 2 sets people found a completely different Asin. Says a source close to her, “She is very friendly by nature and likes to mix with the unit and sit and eat with them while shooting rather than sit in a corner or stick to her van.

She has even made her own set of friends in Mumbai and is seen enjoying their company especially over weekends. She feels when you are working with people you need to be friends, too.”

The camaraderie Asin and Salman share is visibly evident, on-screen or off it! And as a result of being so close with Salman, Asin can’t even think of competing with this larger-than-life star. In case you are wondering about their on-screen chemistry, take a look at it on YouTube Boxoffice. The two actors have also been romantically linked up for their friendly equation time and again.

Though Asin maintains that she respects Salman and is happily single, she vehemently denies the romantic link-up with the megastar. Asin, it seems, is happy only sharing the screen space with Sallu bhai and believes it’s foolish to think of nudging him out of the frame to hog more attention. “You can’t look up to that and say that I want to compete with him and nudge him and push him aside and show my face. I’m quite happy to be a part of this big project.

Salman obviously deserves the kind of adoration or space that he gets because he is who he is,” said Asin in an interview. Asin dear, we wholeheartedly agree with you! After all, with the kind of mass appeal bhai boasts of and given the huge size of his fan-base wethinks very few people in the industry can give Salman a run for his money!

“Yes, each and every film which Asin is currently working on is a comedy”, observes a filmmaker, “Her last film was ‘Ready’ with Salman Khan and that was a huge success.

Now she is in the process of wrapping up ‘Housefull 2′ and ‘Bol Bachchan’, both of which are comedies again with Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn respectively. Call it coincidence, a smart move or good confidence from the makers but Asin can be seen in number of comedies these days.”

One can well see a planned move here for sure because even though she was inundated with offers after ‘Ghajini’, Asin didn’t sign a flurry of films. Her basic considerations stayed on to be good roles, top actors and filmmakers of repute. However one can clearly sense that comedy has stayed on to be a common element. Does that mean that this is the route that she wishes to take in near future as well?

“Well, all of this just fell in place and it is just coincidental that now ‘Housefull 2′ and ‘Bol Bachchan’ are coming in quick succession”, says Asin, “I don’t think it is just comedy which is my forte. ‘Ghajini’ wasn’t a comedy and same holds good for quite a few films that I have done in South that were not comedies but still make a mark. I love comedy but then I am quite comfortable in other genres as well.”

With comedy being the safest genre of all, especially in the current season, she is a part of numerous comic affairs with other genres pretty much on a standby mode at least for now. “Yes, every film which Asin is currently working on is a comedy,” observes a filmmaker, “Her last film, Ready, with Salman Khan was a huge success. Now she is in the process of wrapping up Housefull 2 and Bol Bachchan, both of which are comedies again.”

It could be a well planned move on Asin’s part, because even though she has chosen her films with care, “comedy” has been a binding factor among all her upcoming projects. So does this mean that this is the route she wishes to take in the near future as well?

But Asin wouldn’t call it a planned move. She says, “Well, all of this just fell in place and it is just coincidental that now Housefull 2 and Bol Bachchan are coming in quick succession,” adding, “I don’t think it is just comedy which is my forte. Ghajini wasn’t a comedy and the same holds true for quite a few films that I have done in the South. Even though I love comedies, I am also quite comfortable with dabbling in other genres as well.”

Sure you can Asin, but fans would just love to see your funny it seems.

As Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif are co-starring in “Ek Tha Tiger,” a story has arrived about another potential love interest. A report from Bollywood Life indicates that these two really have a natural chemistry on screen in “Ready.” Fitness may be a key as well. This is displayed by a scene with the two at the gym together. They also report that Asin (pictured) says “Salman is more than a good friend to her.”

Salman has been linked romantically with several other beautiful women, including the aforementioned Katrina Kaif, and of course Aishwarya Rai. Meanwhile, Asin will be working with Aishwarya’s husband Abhishek Bachchan in a new film called “Bol Bachchan” slated for 2012. That makes for some interesting working relationships with a potential new love interest working with the husband of his former love.

So are Salman and Asin hooking up off set? It’s noted that Salman Khan was very impressed by Asin’s dedication to her physical fitness. He even recommended her to some of his producer friends. While there isn’t any major reports of these two being involved romantically, it’s quite possible that Asin’s love of fitness has caught Salman’s eye for a future relationship!

Let’s start with the globe’s most followed showbiz personality – Lady Gaga. During her recent meeting with a Bollywood superstar, the pop icon confessed how she displays only her “sweet” side and then talked of her alter ego, Joe, who does the naughty things on stage including using four-letter words.

Well, our actresses don’t have the luxury Gaga has. But they definitely display a different side of themselves in the south and in Bollywood. Asin (her name meaning without sin or blemish-free) displays an antiseptic side in the south. Not only is she completely clad from head to toe, but she also keeps a very low public profile when she is in Kochi or Chennai. However, in Mumbai, Asin (or her over-active PR machinery) let it be known that Mahendra Singh Dhoni reportedly paid her a housevisit; and her frequent public appearances show that her wardrobe has more minis than kanjeevarams!

Down south, she insisted on going solo in her films but in Mumbai, she is willing to be part of a crowd. Of course, there are many like Asin, who reserve and display their sweet profile in the south and openly flaunt their other side for Mumbai.

Genelia D’Souza, according to some of her heroes down south, is apparently aloof and reserved on the sets in Tollywood/Kollywood. But in Mumbai, she’s known for her PDA with actor Riteish Deshmukh and her more gregarious nature in social circles. Hansika Motwani has her mum fiercely guarding her whether she’s in Mumbai or in the south. Understandably, she dresses more provocatively in the West, than when she is in Chennai.

Ileana D’Cruz, a Mumbai girl who’s currently riding a success wave in the south, is also known for her reported tantrums there. However, in Mumbai, she is ready to play second fiddle to a more established Priyanka Chopra… and is also happy to settle for a much lesser remuneration than what she gets in the south. Obviously, the desperation to make it big in Bollywood allows her to bend her own rules.

So while Lady Gaga and Joe make headlines, so do the south heroines who display two such distinct personalities – they, however, just haven’t named their alter egos yet!

Everybody knows how enthusiastic Salman Khan is when it comes to fitness. When not saying his lines in front of the camera, the fiery actor can be spotted doing push up or squats on the sets.

Apparently, Asin, who played Salman’s love interest in Ready, is also a fitness freak. Don’t believe us? Take a look at how fit the actors look together in Ready on YouTube Boxoffice.

The duo share a great chemistry, though Asin maintains that Salman is more than a good friend to her. While shooting for the movie in Sri Lanka and Thailand, both actors bonded well during their gym session.

Asin got some invaluable tips from Mr Khan himself and as the time progressed, Sallu bhai actually turned into a fitness trainer for his Ready co-star. Salman was so impressed with Asin’s dedication on the sets, off it, as well as in the gym that he recommended chirpy leading lady to some of his producer friends. Work-out can bring about some healthy changes in your life and if your gym-partner happens to be Salman Khan well it can give a definite boost to portfolio too! Gals are you listening?

Though she has not watched half of them because of a lack of time, Asin is very possessive about her DVDs and hates lending them to people.”