I am very much open to doing cinematography for any talented filmmaker, if the script is good.
I think I have underperformed as a filmmaker.
Films take us into an entirely different world, and that's why we must ensure that our long shots do justice.
You have to keep the audience glued by hook or crook.
I was witness to a beautiful relationship between cricketer Anil Kumble and a boy suffering from muscular dystrophy. Moved, I wrote 'Spin' - a small film about a cricketer and a spastic boy. But I couldn't find backing.
I like fractured characters with human follies.
Everyone thinks I am rich, I have a plush office, I make advertisements and travel - but only I know the kinds of problems I face.
Nothing prepares you for shooting in the sea. Some days the sea is choppy, some days the waves are long. When there is no wind, it's fantastic to shoot, but your brain is burning because of the heat. You are shooting hand-held and taking a crane on a boat, which is risky since you can get toppled over.
It is how you approach the role given to you, and how you relate to that character and then how you adapt and gel into that role which makes you a good actor.
Looks are not important when it comes to acting.
Developing aesthetic sense is vital for actors. They must understand that there is no small role, only small actors. A good actor will do the smallest role to perfection, and be recognised.
Music is one field where your caste and religion is not important. People accept you so long as you can move them. It is a medium that allows you to fly beyond your caste.
I don't have any romantic notions about villages.
Minsara Kanavu' was a hit in the South, but not in the North.
Sarvam'... has no gloss that you associate with my earlier work.
Information is available freely on the Net, but what's missing is passion. And only a teacher can impart that passion and deep desire for excellence every day. Moreover, a classroom environment helps overcome certain psychological aspects, including inferiority complex.
In Berkley, they have academic studies on all genres of music including rock and jazz, but in India, we don't have serious academic research and studies on film music; it is such an interesting area of study.
I make my living by shooting ad-films, and, in fact, that's how I began my career.
Ashok Mehta was the man who brought contrast and lighting back to mainstream Hindi film cinematography.
Some films survive long in theatres, and some stay longer in people's minds.
