I've always been a little bit in the background as a singer and even as an acoustic-guitar player, although I crank it up and rock with my Marshall stacks, too.

It is nice to be an American and to be able to have an opinion.

In our band, we had such an interesting democracy, and it worked really well.

As a songwriter, simplicity - what not to do, what not to play - can be the hardest thing to achieve.

Most of our great influences were male rockers, like Led Zeppelin.

Harmony singing is my favorite thing to do in music!

I love singing, and whenever I can sing some more vocal leads, I always covet the chance.

I'll work my butt off to do something well.

I think if there's a support system in place, and you're acting adult-to-adult with a sense of unconditional love and forgiveness, only good things will come from any relationship between men and women.

The '80s was an interesting, confining time for songwriters, so we were just sort of riffing in our own language, off to the side.

A lot of times, women are pigeonholed.

When things get heated, you are pulled in different directions, and you've to stand firm.

'Bigg Boss' changed my view of the world. Before I joined the show as its host, I was living in a bubble. I believed the real world is a happy place. 'Bigg Boss' made me realise that the world is made of all kinds of people, including some judgmental ones. It has introduced me to the real world.

Everyone has a 'Majnu' in them. It's not about the sad or happy climax. It's a term we use to define someone who falls in love and faces problems.

I thought I could handle 'Nenu Local' well and make the romance seem cute than annoying, and going by some of the feedback, I think I managed it.

It's easy to play a character who is suffering with a disease or has a psychological problem. 'Gentleman' is completely opposite. There are both positives and negatives in the role, and it is the most challenging role I have done so far.

I come from a large family, with 16 cousins. My cousins studied well and moved to the U.S. When we all gathered together for special occasions, they would be well groomed and confident. I was the odd, useless one out. All I wanted was to be able to earn without my dad's help and be self-sufficient enough to own a house and a vehicle.

Sometimes we postpone releases because of another big film or some other reasons. In the end, the big film, too, postpones, and the impact is on the small films. So once you decide on a release date, you have to go ahead with it.

I am a big fan of A.R. Rahman and Mani Sharma, and I went to a shop to buy these music directors' CD. But I had only Rs 100, and Rahman's CD cost more, so I couldn't buy both. So I bought Rahman's CD and stole Mani Sharma's CD.

Since childhood, I've never been a morning person. I need something exciting, out of my comfort zone, to get out of bed.

I took up Tamil films because I'm a big fan of Mani Ratnam. I thought maybe he'll notice me if I act in a Tamil film.

I wish that I will get to work with Gopi Sundar again and again.

'Ninnu Kori' urges us to take a broader view of life, look past stumbling blocks, and rise above self sympathy.

'Pilla Zamindar' is a fun film. I enjoyed working in it.

I have realised that I am not cut out for the regular, commercial potboilers. I know I don't have it in me to do such films.

When I worked as an assistant director in 2007, Indraganti Mohan Krishna offered me a lead role. Now, the same director has made me a villain in 'Gentleman.'

'Manu' is one of the best albums. The climax song will be a trump card for all break-up songs. Everybody will talk about the language of the lyrics.

With good content, a solid director can make a film without a superstar.

I wish that 'Yama Pasham' will be a bigger hit than 'Krishnagaadi Veera Prema Gaadha.'

When we did 'Ashta Chamma,' I never thought people will pay money to watch me on screen. I never took myself seriously back then.

After 'Dhayyam' and 'Conjuring,' a film that really scared me is 'Gruham.'

I have not seen the Hindi version or the first season of 'Big Boss Telugu.' I will bring my own style to the show, using my understanding of how the format works.

My career wasn't planned, never had any targets. I just go by my instincts, and I think I am doing good work.

There was a notion that I could do only niche films like 'Yevade Subramanyam' or 'Krishna Gaadi'... I wanted to break that and draw in a larger audience so that next time I do a so-called niche film, more people might come out to watch it.

Anjana knew me inside out even before we got hitched, and now married life is blissful. We are very happy.

Even when I was doing three films a year, I would somehow find two weeks to spend time with my family apart from the regular weekend breaks. But 'Bigg Boss' took up more time than I had expected. On top of it, I also had to shoot for 'Devadas.'

It's not sinking in, as I still believe I am a kid! And now I am going to have a kid. I'm slowly digesting it.

A real blockbuster is one where everyone, from a small technician to a distributor, gets profits. The true success of a film is when every person involved is happy.

With the success of 'Yevade Subramanyam' and 'Bhale Magadivoy,' the audience's faith in me has increased, which is a good sign.

I'd rather fail doing what I believe in and feel satisfied that I tried.

I did get to work as a technician with Bapu in 'Radha Gopalam.'

I and Dil Raju guru have always wanted to work with each other. He had sent to me stories, 4-5 over the years, but somehow, something was not perfect with them. But when I listened to 'Nenu Local,' I felt the time had arrived.

B.A. Raju garu is very knowledgeable when it comes to cinema. He has sound analysis.

All these years, when someone praised my work, I would feel lucky.

When the characters are believable and endearing, action scenes, for example, make an impact. Otherwise, the audience gets no kick out of action. The biggest strength of 'MCA' is that its characters are real.

Script wise, the story of 'Eega' is universal. It's a simple story which everyone can understand.

It was a wonderful experience working with Nagarjuna sir. I mean, I never expected this to happen. For me, who watched his films standing in a queue at theatres, and now sharing the screen with him is a huge thing.

Since I am an outsider, I never knew how it feels to have a superstar in one's family.

A director is a director. We shouldn't categorize one into a this or that director.

My personal opinion is that an actor shouldn't bother himself about expanding his market. He or she should just do good films.