What's life without risks? When I made 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam,' everybody said in India you can never have a husband say that I am uniting my wife with her lover. The male audience would reject it, and it is a male audience and hero-oriented industry.
What upset me was that after 'Saawariya,' which came after the awards and rewards of 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam,' 'Devdas' and 'Black,' I was written off, almost hounded out of the industry.
People might think that I'm inaccessible, unapproachable, and dark. In many ways, my characters are uncomfortable to interact with, but that's not me.
I'm petrified of facing the camera. Even to shoot for a photograph is an ordeal. But it's important to break free of your inhibitions at some point in your life.
I can't begin to describe how humiliating it is for a law-abiding citizen to be cross-examined in a court of law for a crime he hasn't committed.
I've met quadriplegics who have lost the use of their limbs but not their spirit. They are not dark, defeated people.
I was criticised for making 'Devdas' so ostentatious. But stark and realistic cinema isn't the only real cinema in this country.
My mother was my pillar of strength.
It's pure joy to see some people who've never had the chance to live their dream, come on stage, and let loose.
I have grown up watching films in single screens where people would get up and dance in the aisles. With 'Rowdy Rathore,' I want to recreate the same magic.
Bollywood works as hard as regional cinema makers.
The media should be ready to cover every event at the Oberois' residence. If Vivek's dog has dysentery tomorrow, we should be prepared to hear Vivek talk about it on camera for three hours.
After 'Saawariya,' I retreated into a shell.
My life revolves around music.
I never liked being told what to do, so even in school plays, I never liked being an actor.
When I make a film about a physically challenged person, I come away with so much. I learn to value what I have. My survival instinct sharpened after 'Black' and 'Guzaarish.'
Every director, actor, and even producer gets angry on the sets. Why am I the only one being singled out for losing my cool or being talked about vis-a-vis my anger?
'Devdas' isn't a real film. It isn't in the same genre as Mira Nair's 'Monsoon Wedding,' where the camera's presence is so understated it almost disappears.
'Jhalak' was a wonderful experience, but it was important for me to get back to films, since I am a director too.
