Five back-to-back hits, and Katrina Kaif is riding high on Bollywood’s popularity charts.

Currently touring with Vijay Mallya’s IPL team Royal Challengers, the pretty actress admitted, “Life’s a lot more easier than it was when I came in. Acceptance is a big morale booster. I’m now having fun. And I’ve worked hard for it.”

She’s into cricket big time. “I love cricket, it’s an English game, and I’m from England. When I was in London, I used to support West Indies. But now, I’m the face of the Bangalore team.

I’m getting all the attention because I’m a film star,” Kat said. The Royal Challengers apart, the actress also met Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders recently, and came face-to-face with her fan — fast bowler Ishant Sharma. “I was polite and sweet to everyone, including Ishant, the media has hyped up such a harmless thing,” she said of the young bowler’s fascination for her.

Now Kat is packing her bags for Egypt where she will shoot for Singhh is King with Akshay Kumar She’s also working on Subhash Ghai’s Yuvraj with Salman Khan, has Raj Kumar Santoshi’s next film with Ranbir Kapoor lined up and Yash Chopra’s with John Abraham

This is the same Katrina Kaif who was written off as being nothing more than Salman’s arm candy a little while back. Today, she’s the golden girl of the box office. “It’s got nothing to do with luck. I was in the right place at the right time. And, yes, I understand that success is the product of a team, not an individual,” she admitted.

Her starring with Salman in Yuvraj, hasn’t she heard couples working together are never accepted by audiences? “But Jab We Met with Shahid and Kareena proved everyone wrong,” she said defensively. “Also, real life couples choose wrong films together. The focus in such a film is always the romance, which I do not believe works alone.

It has to be a good combination of romance, comedy and other strong roles.”

Is she grooming the wild Khan for his television debut? “I don’t need to groom anybody. Everyone has their own strengths and goodness. Salman, I’m sure, with his comic timing will be a fantastic host.” She was thrilled that all of Bollywood’s top actors today are 40-plus. “And they are looking so fit and good. Forty was never so hot. They just rock. I don’t see myself slogging at the gym when I am 40. I will be happily married with kids,” she laughed.