I had hoped when my life was chronicled, it would be an inspirational story.Collection: Inspirational
I am grateful to theatre for making me what I am today. But it's not like theatre is my first love. I am equally attached to cinema, which is, actually, a child of theatre, since it borrows heavily from it.
In theatre, you've got to make the connect with your audience in the first three minutes. If you haven't, you know you've almost lost them.
It is my first preference to do films with social significance. Art cinema has given me credibility and status as an actor, but commercial cinema has given me a comfortable living.
When I was at school, I wanted to join the army. At college, I started acting in college plays, and it became a kind of addiction. I was very shy when I was at school, but the plays seemed to give voice to my feelings.
When Nandita expressed a desire to write about me, I couldn't stop her because she's my wife, but she has forgotten who she is.
I have been in the film industry for 35 years, and everyone, including the spot-boys, will vouch for my character.
In western countries, there are roles written for older actors. Films are made on them, including love stories.
We have filmmakers who make films with some kind of responsibility and take cinema seriously like Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani, Prakash Jha. But now these people also take stars... Without stars they cannot work.
Fat noses have no place in the Hindi film industry. But it is not so in the West - otherwise, Anthony Quinn would have never been an actor.
I was very sensitive to the environment around, and this disparity in people, seeing beggars and laborers not paid well, used to disturb me. So these emotions in these roles came very naturally to me.
Meeting Helen Mirren was a fabulous experience. I had played it out in my mind, how I should greet her when we would be introduced. But the way we met was funny because I just didn't recognise her!
I feel even old people can do a nice love story, but here we don't make that kind of films. In the West, such films are being made and they make a nice romance, which is more like compassion.
Every person wants to stretch himself and widen his audience. Since Hollywood has got more exposure and is shown all over the world, it's obvious that every actor would want to do an English film and explore himself.
I have no regrets at all. I have done quite well for myself. I didn't have a conventional face, but I have done well, and I am proud of it.
I personally enjoy theatre, but preferably I do films so that I can reach up to maximum audience. If you want to give a serious message, it will reach out to maximum people through films. But through theatre, you can hardly reach out to about 3,000 audience at a time.
The fact is I like Mumbai less and less. My son says, 'Baba, let's go for a drive', and I tell him, 'Where's the fun of a drive in this place?' You get caught in a million traffic jams, and you spend time cooped in your car with all that mad cacophony around you.
I don't expect anything from anybody. When you grow old Your days are gone; it is part of life.Collection: Gone
I was very shy and very reserved as a child, very, very introvert.Collection: Children
We have filmmakers who make films with some kind of responsibility and take cinema seriously like Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani, Prakash Jha. But now these people also take stars Without stars they cannot work.Collection: Stars
Our stars are quite notorious. I mean, they don't show up on time. This is, you know, something which is very, very annoying.Collection: Stars