There's no one beating Mr. Bachchan when it comes to acting. He is outstanding. He is a phenomenal actor and a thorough gentleman. His natural skills at acting just bowled me over, and I've become an even bigger fan of his after working with him.

If you have a great story, any film will work.

As an actor, I would never agree if a newcomer doesn't give me a final word on the script. If it is well-written, then you need not speak to me. I will speak for you.

It's very embarrassing to talk of your own work before shooting for it and even before it is released. I have been a witness to many of our actors turning red-faced after their films release. I'd rather not be there.

I was really lucky and blessed to have had the likes of directors such as Mani Ratnam and Rajkumar Hirani in my career.

I play a womaniser in 'Saala Khadoos,' but I do not demean women in any way.

I got good offers from Bollywood because I can speak Hindi very well.

If you do not have a good script, then no matter what the genre is, the film will not be a success.

It is very important for an actor to look physically attractive.

I am one of those people who are really short-tempered, but I don't lose it unless it is justified.

I am a south Indian, so I speak Tamil.

When you go into the realm of a double role, you have to take it to another level to make it believable.

Any story, any screenplay can only happen if the whole unit is professionally working towards it.

I can't dance like Hrithik Roshan. I don't have the necessary glamour like some of the other actors do. They are able to sell themselves on that aspect. I do roles and films which are very realistic. So, in those films, if you don't get into the skin of it, they won't look convincing.

People of Maharashtra are close to my heart, and this is where I became who I am, and this has been instrumental in my formative years.

I am a Tambrahm born and brought up in Jamshedpur 20 years of my life, as my father worked for the Tatas there. My mother was a chief manager in the Bank of India and the only lady manager in Bihar in those times.

There is a difference between being educated and academics.

When I listen to scripts, I never ask who my co-star is - instead, I ask about the characters and the producers of the particular venture.

I always take part in the creative process of every film of mine. Gone are the days where an actor would walk into the sets, finish his portions, take the money, and leave. In fact, I've been accused of being interfering - but that's the way I am. It is important for every actor to get involved with the script.

My favourite food is definitely paani puri.

I've realised that to make a successful film, you have to be with a unit which is happy and positive from the beginning.

I am very choosy about my films. I don't do a film just for the sake of money.

Normally, my birthdays are very quiet. I go to the temple with my family and later take blessing from my parents. A few friends come over to my house, and we talk about the year gone by.

I use the Net for a lot of things besides e-mailing. I involve myself in chats with people as part of my research for characters.

If you say actors have a social responsibility to do things, you are right, in a way. It's a wishful decision. But if it's done out of force, I don't think it will accomplish anything. Everybody starts counting how much work they have done and see if they have done their due for the week. That is not social service. You need to go way beyond that.

I am a hardcore Bihari boy. I am born and brought up in Bihar, and for me, ethnicity is not a problem and is inbuilt in me.

I hail from a small town, Jamshedpur. From childhood, I've been constantly surrounded by people who are not so urban.

I always believe that the elders in my family are the reason for my success.

It is not easy to lose or gain weight. The diet and the exercise regime should be compatible with your body, or else you end up with wrinkles and hair loss.

For me, my realism has stood me over 15 years, so the kind of films that I have done has garnered enough respect for me to be able to survive the industry.

I'm a Gemini, and my attention span is limited. So, I don't dwell on long-term goals.

One needs to be super intelligent and have an above-average IQ to be able to work in movies.

I don't want to buy a jet plane. I don't want to live with an entourage.

I don't mind being called Maddy at all, but I mind the closeness that you assume you get by calling me by my pet name. So merely by calling me Maddy, I don't give you the authority to come and put your hand around my shoulder.

I had built my body to look like a boxer, then I lost it completely for 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns.' It was really tough gaining weight, building muscles, and then losing it completely for another film.

I have found out what I am allergic to, and I am trying to avoid that in my daily food intake.

I would prefer to work for directors who give me the script and written screenplay at the outset.

Nobody is in the world should be deprived of the joys of eating.

I told my wife that I want to take a three-year break. She supported me and said, 'Please go ahead.' I am grateful that she supported me. For me, this romance and understanding is very important in our marriage.

My assistants will bear testimony to the fact that I am a very angry man.

It is a privilege that women fancy me, but I cannot sustain the chocolate boy image forever. I don't want to end up being known, like the late veteran Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan was, as the king of romance.

I eat exactly three times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. I sit quietly for 20 minutes without anybody disturbing me, and I chew each mouthful 60 times.

Sequels face the risk of being constantly compared to the first film.

I have been very cautious about the films that I do. I hope to always entertain my audience. The day I am not able to do that, I will quit acting.

Being a parent, it is heartening to see your child wake up every day at 5:45 in the morning to pursue his passion and then manage school as well.

Actually Maddy is my name. But I feel that whenever you address somebody, there needs to be certain amount of dignity rendered to it - irrespective of whether it's a film star or somebody you are fond of. I find it very pleasing when somebody refers to me as 'Mr. Madhavan' or 'Sir' or 'Mr. Maddy.'

Finding one good script is a huge challenge. So I do a film whose script comes and grabs me. Once I finish that, I look forward to the next movie.

Birds and insects are part of the ecosystem and help in pollination. I don't see any problem in having fruits and vegetables that birds want to eat, as opposed to the perfect shaped tomato that only you can eat and which, by the way, could also be cancerous.

Actually, nobody has ever given me an award, and also, it's not really important in my life. I go to these award shows for meeting my friends.

I took a break so that I can entertain my audience properly.