There will always be people who will first wait for somebody's comment and then attack them. I'll say they are just cowards. They have no opinions of their own. It's very easy to be a sheep; it's not easy to be a shepherd. One should not give a damn about these trolls. One should not give them importance at all.
Soni Razdan
Every company should have zero tolerance on sexual harassment so that victims feel secure while taking a stand.
Whenever you go to Kashmir, you find people who are very gentle and soft-spoken.
Nepotism is a natural thing that happens in every field.
I feel, if I criticize my country, it's not because I don't like my country. I love my country. That is my patriotism. I want to make it a better place for my children, for everyone. And if we don't look at what's in front of us, and we allow things to get out of hand because of other vested interests, then as citizens are not doing a good job.
Two single, young souls can fall in love. What's the big deal? Rather, it's a good thing.
Our artistes should be allowed to go to Pakistan just as we welcome their artistes.
People opposing dance bars claim that a lot of money is wasted in bars. I want to ask them why not target five star hotels, too, where a lot of money is spent?
I don't know what kept us together. Initially, both of us were hotheaded, so we would end up fighting a lot. But there was a lot of love and respect, too, I guess. I believe that's the key to a successful marriage.
Forget being an actor-director: we, as citizens, have the responsibility to make the country a better place. And that doesn't mean advertising other people's agendas; it means looking at what is wrong and making it right.
Alia needs a full support system that I'm happy to provide her.
I always set small goals and work towards them to achieve them.
My acting, writing, performance - keep me on my toes.
I would have never thought when I was a young actor that I would want to direct.
I am very political in my mind, thoughts, and understanding.
Acting, according to me, gets better with time and age. The more experiences you have in life, the more you have seen, the better equipped you are to deal with complexity and bring out the depth in characters.
It makes the city unique and hold a charm. In old Kolkata, there are some beautiful old buildings... some of them are well-maintained; somewhere reflects what the city has gone through in the past.
I am not the kind of person who won't get married because of my career, because there was nothing great happening in my career anyway.
My mother is a German who was brought up in the U.K. So, there is so much cross-cultural exposure I had as a child. But Mumbai is my city.
It was a miracle that I became an actress. I survived because of hard work and perseverance.
I was a complete anomaly in this business. I didn't fit into the Hema Malini-Zeenat Aman commercial cinema mould, neither the Shabana Azmi-Smita Patil art cinema mould.
I never stopped working when I got married and had kids. I did television and always tried to do what I could do.
I did not bring up my child to think that she was a star. If I had treated her any differently, it would have messed everything up. She was brought up normally, like other kids, in a normal house, and it was a normal, middle-class life.
To be honest, nobody was running after me with roles, so there also came a time when I did neglect the acting side and was keen on directing and pursuing that. People got this impression, 'She's directing, not acting,' stuff like that.
People are lazy when they cast. It's natural to think of the most obvious fit to your character.
Presumably, with age, you mellow down.
I didn't want to be a sex symbol. That was perhaps my mistake, but you can't really change who you are.
The digital space is becoming more relevant, and people are watching a lot of stuff on the web.
I enjoy watching news and lifestyle channels. Cooking shows are also my favourite. I also watch a lot of films on Netflix.
Being half Kashmiri, it's always special for me to shoot in the valley and to be there with the locals. They are all very warm people who are very hospitable and genteel and always welcome everyone with an open heart.
It is always wonderful to have a theatrical release; lot of filmmakers desire that.
I probably marketed myself all wrong. I had exotic looks; I should have done those glamorous roles that exuded 'oomph.' But in my head, I was always an actress first.
I have always been known as Mahesh Bhatt's wife, and I would tell people, 'Hello! I'm here!' This has always been a struggle. I would like to be known for who I am. I'm very happy to be known as his wife or Alia's mother. But I am also a person who, in her own right, has gone through quite a lot of odds.
I am the mother, and the emotional chord with my children is naturally strong. So there are times when I might get sleepless nights because I am worried.
You come to a certain age in life and wonder, 'I am holding back for what?' Why not just say it?
Between my two girls, Alia showed a natural flair for acting.
Acting is a fair business. If you are not going to bring in the audience, no nepotism will work.
I am as curious about my daughter's acting debut as the rest of the world. I think Alia has got the best possible debut under the biggest banner. But it's not going to be easy for her to go from the first to the second film smoothly.
It's tough for a child to deal with expectations that people have if they have a successful parent. A child often fails to cope with the same and constantly tries to find out possible ways to excel - just to live up to the name.
I believe in living life organically, taking it as it comes.
In 'Yours Truly,' I was the centre of the story; I was the protagonist. There was a lot more happening inside the mind of the character which was not projected loudly through dialogue and action... As a performer, playing such a nuanced, internal character is challenging.
If you are not willing to grow together, then the relationship will not survive.
I had directed a short film called 'Girvhi' earlier, on child labour. It was a fictional story. At that time, I realised I could direct a film if given a chance.
You cannot control the spending habits of people. It is a free society, after all, and people should have right to spend their money as they wish.
Struggle is always very demoralising. It's not a romantic phase in anybody's life. It's very difficult. What it does is, it brings out your creativity in different way.
Kolkata does not look like a Delhi or Mumbai. The city has its identity.
Not much changed post-'Raazi.' I didn't get too many offers.
I never needed anyone when I became an actress. I ran off to England on my own.
I was not nervous while making 'Nazar' because I was well prepared. I took three months to prepare. When I went on the sets, I knew what I was doing.
In this business, you can't make any plans.
