I take time to open up with people. But once I know you, I'm fine. I'm a shy person.

Practical knowledge of what works and what doesn't work is much better. Theoretical knowledge is important, but I think practical knowledge works better.

I've stopped taking myself seriously because now I understand how fickle my thoughts are.

I might not be over-enthusiastic about socialising and making friends, but I am not a loner. I love hanging out with my friends, and I do it often when I am not working. Maybe, since I am not often invited to the 'happening' parties of our industry, where the media is around, I have earned the reputation of being a loner.

I have seen extreme lows because of factors that were not in my hands - be it not having money to buy my first bike, dropping out of a prestigious engineering college without having a single rupee in my bank account, living with seven boys in a single-room kitchen in Mumbai, or eating nothing but khichdi every day. But I cherish all those moments.

I have made a lot of mistakes, but I am proud of them all.

To be able to make statements, you need to be confident about what you think. You need to have a sense of right and wrong.

My favourite actor is Daniel Day Lewis. He's the finest actor in Hollywood. I've studied his performances.

I think we are all insecure, and there is nothing wrong in accepting that. But the problem arises when we try to counter this insecurity by cultivating this illusion of control, and we start taking ourselves and everything we know too seriously.

Everything that is somehow related to direction and filmmaking fascinates me, like cinematography.

If you spend time with your loved ones, you get the energy to do your job better.

Money was a big differentiator when I was growing up, but I made sure it doesn't stay that way.

I crave for adventure. It makes me feel alive and excited. It's a constant tussle between what you want to do and other parameters that aren't in your hands.

I really wanted to buy a Range Rover. It was a big dream, and the day I bought it, I was very happy, but by evening, I was immune to it. That's when I realized that excitement, if it's happiness, is not in reaching the goal but in the process. Thus process trumps over realization.

If you are seeing something for the first time, one of your first reactions should be fascination.

I will continue doing things irrespective of the medium as long as I'm excited about it.

I was the youngest child and the only son. I was expected to shine in academics. It seemed like too big a risk to take up cricket as a career. I thought I had to live up to my family's expectations. So I chose to be an engineer.

A man should definitely own a couple of blue denims, white crew neck T-shirt, a versatile blazer, comfortable pair of boxers, and coloured sneakers.

I realised quite early that by the time I articulate my thoughts into words, I'm on to another thought. And what comes out wasn't what I thought of exactly. So not talking was a better option.

Since I think I am very boring in normal life, I tend to hide behind all these exciting characters, making people believe that I am someone else entirely. That feeling is very powerful.

As an actor, you think you know your craft, you know the conflicts in your character, but often you don't.

I have been blessed with strong leg muscles, and dancing really exercises one's legs.

I have four elder sisters, and being the youngest, I was pampered.

It took me 13 months just to prepare for 'M.S. Dhoni'... I started by watching every single video I could find of his, repeatedly. After three months, people who met me started saying that they could see similarities, and I knew I was on the right path.

I am ecstatic that 'KPC' was a commercial hit and was critically acclaimed. The 60 days we shot for it were the best days of my life. I still get goosebumps when I think of them.

There are so many ways to approach a character. You have to figure out the similarities between you and the character, build on them, and at the same time, blur the dissimilarities. Since you do it day in and day out, it becomes a process and a part of you.

I was very excited and interested as a background dancer or as a theatre actor or when I was working on TV, or even on the film which didn't do well, like 'Byomkesh.'

When I am in front of the camera or on stage, I am not me.

Things are difficult for outsiders in the industry, and it is very evident, too. It does not mean that insiders have it easy or that it's impossible for outsiders to break in. More often than not, the difference is about how successes and failures are viewed and magnified.

I never think about what people will think when they watch me on screen.

I wanted to be a cricketer. But I was not skilled enough to be a national-level cricketer.