I have had enough of an interesting life to not embellish it in any way.
I am hard put to think of a single positive thing that commercial Hindi cinema has achieved.
I don't think cinema has the power to change anybody's life.
Don't opt for acting as an escape from education.
When my brother came home from NDA (National Defence Academy), I felt, 'Wow, I should like to wear that uniform.' But I didn't want to join the army.
Film industry people don't read books.
The only serious function films can serve is to act as a record of their times.
I feel that cinema can't change society or bring a revolution. I'm also not sure of cinema as a medium of education. Documentaries can be educative, not feature films.
People should know what the India of 2018 was like. They shouldn't end up seeing only Salman Khan films 200 years later. India is not like that.
I am totally for first timers. I always hear them seriously. I have done so many films with first timers, and I've never regretted it.
My agent wanted me to audition for Dumbledore's character after Richard Harris died. I was asked if I would like to audition for it. But I wouldn't audition for it.
I am never comfortable working with stars.
In theatre, there is a unique feeling of everyone working as a team, which you never get in films.
I don't take reviews seriously. I don't even read them. Who is this person blasting forth his opinion? What's his worth, and how different is he from any man on the street?
I don't look at my work as an avenue for generating more work. For me, my work itself is sufficient.
It would be impossible to find an actor to portray Om Puri, so I wouldn't even attempt it.
No actor can give his best performance without the help of the director.
It is always a pleasure to be directed by an actor because they know the scene from the actor's perspective, too. That's an advantage.
Acting is fun, but directing is very stressful.
An actor can never voice his opinion through films. All an actor does is convey what the director and writer want to say. You are a mouthpiece of their ideas. Your ideas reflect only in your choice of movies.
