There is a lot of silence in me, and I feel that silence is often better than spoken words.

I went through a low phase for two years when I had a string of flops. At that time, I even felt that I was in the wrong profession and that I should leave acting. But thankfully, I utilised that time to introspect and went on a self-exploration trip. I did theatre in between, and it helped grow the fire within me.

It's a misconception that love can only foster between two people of opposite sex. Love is a bond.

A movie is a mass consumption product. I have got no delusions about being niche. I don't want to be niche. Though in the earlier part of my career I was into niche cinema, doing independent films - and I do have a revolutionary bent of mind - but you cannot make a change from outside; you have to be a part of it.

It is easy to bare your body, but it is difficult to bare your soul. What works for me is that I am not a city-raised boy with city-raised sensibilities. I can play the vulnerable tough man, the guy with a gun in his hand, tears in his eyes, fire in his heart, innocence in him, and in his arms a woman he loves.

At the end of the day, an actor is only a cog in the wheel.

Love to me has meant different things at different junctures of my life. I'm not a hopeless romantic.

As human beings, we are all flawed. And just like there is a good side, there is also a bad side waiting to find its way out.

Knowledge is power. You can't begin a career, for that matter even a relationship, unless you know everything there is to know about it.

I am not an angry guy. It's just the roles I do that impact my personality.

There is no life without sport and no sport without competition.

Love is a strange emotion. It is ever evolving. Lust is transient. With time, one realizes that love and togetherness are two different things. Very few people are lucky enough to experience the two emotions simultaneously.

None of us can claim to be fair and square in love - and I'm definitely not a hypocrite! Humans are built to evolve with time. It depends on the nature of the relationship you share with a person. It is there today, tomorrow it may be gone; c'est la vie.

Being fit involves working on all aspects - your body, what you eat, and how you think. A sculpted body is not of much use if you're not there mentally. And similarly, if you're not eating well, it will affect your physical and mental set-up. After all, a six-pack might look good, but that's pretty much it!

Having learnt my basics in theatre, I always feel film is a collaborative effort. If you do your part well and help the person in front of you in realising his or her potential, the film invariably comes out good.

I am not an insecure actor, and this reflects in the films I have done. Yes, there was a phase when I was adamant on solo hero roles, but that is over now.

I try to keep myself as normal as possible. Stardom is transient. People forget you after a while.

I don't have a set image. In fact, I would be curious to know how someone slots me.

Everyone wants to be famous; so do I. But I cannot lose sleep over it.

Seriously I suspected I was a good actor, though I didn't know it during 'Monsoon Wedding.' Now I realize the more I learn, the less I know about acting... and life.

If you have life's experiences with you, nothing can stop you from being a competent actor.

Be it Valentine's Day, Father's Day or Mother's Day, I feel all days are reminders of some feelings. February 14 doesn't hold any special relevance for me.

People prefer doing films. That is not the case with me. I don't do theatre because I have to but because it makes me feel alive. I enjoy the whole process of rehearsing, though repetition can make it tedious.

We had a great dramatic society in school, and that's where I first got exposure both as an actor and director.