hen once asked what she wanted from life, her reply was straightforward.

"A normal life and a 10-to-5 job that puts my education to good use," was the prompt answer.

There's no saying what she meant by normal. But at least where her money is concerned, Soha Ali Khan [Images] is certainly putting her knowledge to apt use.

The young daughter of actress Sharmila Tagore and former Indian cricket captain and Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan, took an adventurous leap from a job at Citibank to the Hindi film industry.

She recently starred in Dil Maange More, with Shahid Kapur [Images].

Soha holds a Masters in International Political Science from the London [Images] School of Economics. 

Here, Get Ahead finds a lot of brain behind the beauty!

Soha's recommended investment

Property and mutual funds, in that order of priority.

Her reasoning is clear. In a country like India which is overpopulated with no sign of the population abetting, land is a precious commodity. Its price will keep rising. Whoever owns it, reigns as king.

Soha's views on stocks

Diversified equity mutual funds like Franklin Blue Chip top her list, though she also recommends shares of good companies. IPOs catch her attention now and then. "If I am too busy, I am fortunate enough to have friends at Citibank who inform me as and when good IPOs hit the market," she says.

Soha's views on financial security

Soha says, "Financial security is important to me."

She recommends the risk-return equation: take a high risk with your money, and you may end up with stupendous returns. But, she cautions, "Never put your savings in risky investments. Only disposable income should find its way there."

In other words: Only money that you can afford to lose should be invested in risky investments.

Balancing one investment with another is also one way of mitigating the risk.

"I think it is crucial to diversify one's portfolio," she states. "I don't think you should put all your money in one place. It must be invested in different investments."

And yes, "Go for life insurance."

DON'T MISS!

Priyanka's smart investment moves