It's amazing how much the human mind and body can do and achieve.

As an actor, you buy into someone else's dream and make it your own, and you don't lose sight of that.

I think if you believe in an idea, then you should put it out there and be as original to the thought as possible without worrying about the risk.

Nobody is immune to feeling depressed.

I love ice cream and gulab jamuns.

If you were to put me under one umbrella, call me a storyteller.

I am very fond of technology and like to keep pace with change.

Film festivals are important, as they often provide an opportunity to look at a film from a fresh perspective.

Friendship brings in a lot of honesty and trust into any relationship, especially a marriage.

It's only when a project or film doesn't work, that you think about what you could have done differently - whether you chose unwisely, or was there something in your application in that role, as an actor, as a director or as a producer, that you could have done better.

There was a phase when I would just loaf around, doing nothing. It had put my mom under a lot of stress. I knew her stress stemmed from her love for me, yet I never paid attention to her feelings. When it finally hit me that my idleness was taking a toll on her, I was genuinely sad and depressed.

I think it is important to time yourself to make the right choices. It's not responsible to go ahead and say a 'yes' or 'no' on a whim.

The power with which you can create a character is tremendous and probably more satisfying than actually being the person.

I like to make films with characters that resemble real people, about societies that exist.

Fitness is about keeping yourself healthy. This is something you do for yourself and for your loved ones.

If someone has behaved badly with a woman. and she hasn't spoken about it for ten, 20, or 30 years, it's her prerogative when she wants to speak.

Everything I do is gauged under the shadow of 'Dil Chahta Hai.' Even 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' and 'Rock On,' which are very urban films. So I am always seen through that lens.

'Dil Chahta Hai' was too raw. We only thought about the film. We never thought where the film was going to go. We wanted to make a film on our own terms.

'Deewar' has been remade so many times, 'Trishul' has been remade so many times. But 'Don' - no one has gone into this area as often as they have gone into these other movies, and I think it fits into the modern sensibility of movie viewing quite well.

If you are a doctor or farmer, be sincere about your profession. If you can do what you do honestly, you will end up serving your country.

After 'Rock On!,' when I started acting, and I sang in the film, people asked me, 'What was the need to sing in your film?' and things like that. I really don't have an answer for it. In terms of what made me do it? It just felt like the right thing to do.

Indian food beats everything else, in my book. The kinds of cuisine our country offers is just amazing. Every single dish has a variation depending on what region you go to, and that excites me the most about Indian food.

Apart from the highs and lows of when your film releases, there's a strange, addictive quality that making a film has because of all that drama. There's so much that goes on, and we miss it when it's over.

I was very focused when I wanted to make 'Dil Chahta Hai,' though it was difficult for me to convince people that I know how to make films and I will be able to direct and put a film together.

The first time I re-discovered the joy of watching an action movie was when I saw 'Die Hard.' It was a completely simple plot - a guy goes to meet his wife, and the building gets taken over by terrorists - but I was completely blown away. Great characters, and it moved along really fast.

Every director has a sensibility and style, and what works is his originality and conviction.

The more time you have, you should dedicate it to do creative work.

You have to be grateful for what you have, but you're always pushing further.

I love travelling, especially to Goa.

It does not feel any different being directed by a first-timer as long as I am convinced that the director is passionate about the film he or she is making. If you get a sense of their vision for the film and their aesthetics of your performance, then it does not matter whether you work with a new or an experienced director.

I usually play volleyball three times a week.

When I watched Guru Dutt's films, they just blew my mind.

Whether it is crimes against women, whether it's discrimination against women, whether it's just social bias against women - these things should be anomalies; they should not be the norm.

Work does affect my personal life, as it consumes most of my time. It takes away a lot from my family time.

I remember so clearly as a kid, my biggest problem in life was I used to never follow up on anything.

Filmmaking, whatever the window dressing or the scale of a film may be, is eventually about telling a story.

As the director, you are the organiser who has to have all the answers. You are the person with maximum clarity.

I think nothing can be taken for granted - be it the fact that you get to work with a certain kind of talent, certain kinds of budgets, or that the audience looks forward to your work.

If you had a fabricated story coming out every two weeks or every month, it would affect you. You would be like, 'What's the problem with people?' or 'Why can't they let me be?' And that's the thought that comes into anyone's mind.

Being a parent to my daughters, son to my parents, and friends to many people, I would wish for a society that's fair to everyone, that's free of prejudice and as non-divisive as possible.

My sister Zoya and I have been exposed to the best of cinema of all kinds - Chinese, Japanese, Italian, etc.

A break-up between couples is traumatic for everyone.

In any case, I am not a great one to make plans for the future.

When I take up a film, I always think of the effect it will have on my children when they see the film years later.

Everyone has a Milkha Singh in them.

Cinema, I always felt, is a very powerful mass medium to translate ideas in an engaging way.

Even within escapist cinema, if you find a good story to tell, it will do well.

People want a certain amount of respect when they watch a film: it should be worth of their time.

As an actor, I am extremely fortunate to portray Milkha Singh on the big screen.

When I made my debut as an actor in 'Rock On!' I was confident to get in front of the camera.