When we make a film like 'TWM Returns,' it is important that we don't think of bettering anything. It's like a baby being born: all you can hope for is the best. But you can't decide how the baby is going to look. Similarly with the movie - you can't think of making it better; you only can think of making the best film possible.

I studied B.Sc electronics to be an engineer and later did masters in communication and advertising. I loved engineering for what it could accomplish to make our lives easier. But, I realised that it was not my passion.

I think new directors come with new perceptions, energy, and passion to win. They don't have to worry about an already existing image or budget that they have to recover.

A film star is a film star, and you can't take that away. Hence, I don't think about money when I do films, but I will do it for TV like the way I do it for endorsements.

If I could, I would like my son to study in Jamshedpur, where I did my schooling.

I am not someone who would raise my voice to seek publicity. I am a responsible citizen, and I continue to be so.

I realised after doing 'Tanu Weds Manu' that I had become fat and was not performing to the mark. I realised that I had become a terrible actor. I did 'Jodi Breakers,' which did not do well. So, I moved away from the film industry and lived with the common man to know where I was lacking and what do they want from an actor.

If anybody accuses me of being rich, I give it back to them because I had a poor economical background. I worked my way up, and I am an exemplary citizen, and I always do what is good for my nation.

People have this misconception that people with six-pack abs can deliver hits, but that's not the case. Had I built six-pack abs for 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns,' I wouldn't have been able to justify myself.

I am an extremely selfless but, at the same time, supremely confident actor.

A loverboy's shelf life is very limited.

I think Anand Rai is one of the few brilliant directors we have.

Success, or the lack of it, has a way to make you realise what your boundaries are.

I eat before I feel hungry. I know that when you order food or shop on an empty stomach, you always tend to over-eat, over-order, or over-shop. So I always eat slightly before I'm famished.

It took me 15 years of being in the industry to know that you need makeup and styling when you go out, that you need to have PR.

Making six-pack abs for no reason doesn't make sense. When you are young, it is possible.

All of us wish for a dignity that commands respect. But few have it.

I value my independence a lot, and the thought of having to lose that due to age or any other reason terrifies me.

Marital status is not going to affect one's prospects or fan following, for ultimately, talent will prevail. Take Aamir Khan or Shah Rukh Khan, for instance. Actors are mere dream sellers. They cannot become everyone's lover.

Whenever you have chemistry on-screen, then you have to be very attracted to the person.

All great scripts need not reach silver screen, and every good story can't be narrated in a 2-hour film.

Films are my life; I don't think there is anything that I would not do for the sake of the movie.

If I hadn't been part of '3 Idiots,' I would have felt bloody jealous.

There is a time in every actor's life when he has to face the self-created hurdle after he starts getting bored of work and suddenly realises that he is left behind.

When I do a film, I try and see how in tune I am with the director.

I dislike the trait of ungratefulness.

Acting is like any other profession. I do not think stars need to have any hang-ups in public. I do not like to be treated like someone special - and this I say because I am normal and not because I want to sound humble.

I am not chocolate and definitely not a boy. I am a man, and I have no clue how this image has stuck to me despite all these years. I think, maybe, in spite of trying to shell off my chocolate boy image, love stories excite me, and somehow I land up in such roles.

Television is a good training ground for aspiring stars. You can experiment and get away, imbibing the positive and viable aspects. Whereas, in cinema, the stakes are high. If something goes wrong, the film falls flat.

When I go to hotels, sometimes I find waiters and people who do not address me as 'Mr.' or address me as a normal guest would have been addressed, simply because my name is Maddy. I find that slightly offending, but I don't react to it thinking that maybe the name is so casual that people think it's a buddy that you are talking to.

For every film that I have believed in - from 'Tanu Weds Manu' to 'Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein' - it was very difficult to find producers.

I am no more the 'chocolate boy.' Still, romance is always going to be a part of my life.

'Tanu Weds Manu's brilliance lies in the fact that it makes the middle class want to be aspirational.

I've always believed that the script is the boss.

If I look like a six-pack replete warrior in 'Tanu Weds Manu,' viewers are not going accept me.

Failure never goes to my heart, and success never goes to my head.

As for the future, you can never predict it, so I don't even think about it.

You evolve with each and every film you do. In every film that I did, I learnt something or the other, and I am constantly learning and hopefully becoming better.

I really want to do roles that have some substance, and I hope writers give us that importance. I can't alone stand up and demand roles like that. It's a collective thing. Writers have to believe in heroines and understand that there's more to a woman than just her curves. It's not that they can't do it. They just choose not to.

I think it's very important to grow as a person from the experiences you encounter in life.

As much as I love to do commercial films, a touching romantic film like Mani Ratnam's 'Geethanjali' will satiate my creative appetite.

Tamannaah is not just pretty on the outside but from within too. She's extremely friendly and grounded. We had mutual admiration for each other and bonded so well. I think I found a sister in her.

I don't party much, but I am open to parties.

'Bengal Tiger' is huge film for me, and I had a blast working with both Ravi Teja and Tamannaah.

Be it commercial or offbeat, I want to establish myself as an actress.

Even if I wish to work with somebody, they should be willing to cast me first.

I'm not doing an item number in any film.

Be it the team or script, everything about 'Imaikkaa Nodigal' is special to me. The script is nothing like what I have done before.

If you want to deliver as an actor, you need to know the language. If you don't know what you are mouthing, how will you perform? For me, it is important to know the language.

I have always been fascinated by Kollywood because of the interesting scripts and genres that they come up with.