I really miss Kanpur. I am very fond of the rasgullas of Ghosh Sweets. I miss strolling in Naveen Market and on Mall Road.
Vijay Krishna Acharya
I don't want to make a perfect film because perfect films are boring and cold.
Your film really needs to call audiences to theatres.
In 2003, when I wrote the first 'Dhoom,' we were at the end of the curve of a certain kind of Hindi film, which was quite plastic. 'Dhoom' was unconventional then.
We are a nation of film lovers, and films have often been a cultural glue that binds us all in a way that transcends geography.
In 1986 I went to study at the Delhi University and that's where I took up theatre seriously.
I want to do a comedy film.
People go to theatres to see newer things. Content should be the king.
I loved 'The Dark Knight.'
Many people want to be a part of this industry only because of its glamour. What they have to understand is that it takes hard work to make it big. Imitation and bootlicking won't get you through.
I don't want to make films that are constantly pleasing the audience, it is not my tradition.
I always wanted to be in Bollywood and the first step towards that was by participating in school plays. I would get awards for my acting and that motivated me to get into Bollywood.
What I learnt was a real star never comes on set wearing stardom.
I'm a hardcore reality lover. I love characters that people can relate with and yet a tinge of grey shade.
I enjoyed writing 'Tashan' very much.
My life has been a series of slightly happy accidents.
I only know a few people who I call friends and a few who've given me the respect, like Yash Chopra, Aditya Chopra, Aamir Khan and Mani Ratnam.
I truly enjoy working with kids because they teach me something and it allows me to get in touch with few things that are a bit personal to me.
Kanpur is my own town. I was born and brought up here.
It was in Kanpur where I got exposed to the art of filmmaking.
Bollywood is a place which is completely free from caste, region and religion. Some people might work in the industry with the help of networking but I feel is that it's your artistic competence that gets you work in industry.
Films are made for audience's appreciation but films are also made for artistic satisfaction.
I never approach an actor till I have finished the script.
If I want to tell a story to 10 people, I don't need a star. If I want to tell it to 10,000 people, the best case scenario is you get an actor and a star.
Amitabh Bachchan is such a senior actor, a big star, everyone is in awe of him, but he is such a great guy to work with.
What excited me to do 'Thugs of Hindostan' was to make a film in the large format about a character, who is not inherently noble.
I will do films I want to make. I will never make a film for commerce.
Films make stars and stars never make films.
I love all the characters I write.
I can only go with my gut and say what I would like to do, and then my producer comes in and makes it happen.
You can't compromise to keep the film in budget.
I find it easier to tell someone what's in my head once it's on paper, rather than write with someone in mind.
I hoped 'Tashan' would be a clutter-breaker.
I'm a huge film buff. If it wasn't for Martin Scorcese, Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani, I wouldn't be here.
I remember cycling down in my hometown Kanpur twice in two days for eight kilometres to see 'Ardh Satya.' I loved its rawness at a time when everyone was doing potboilers.
Tashan' is not for the lily-livered.
I like travelling a lot so in all my films, I take the location very seriously.
I think Malta is great for a song. It's got very nice and narrow roads with beaches. So if you personally ask me, I would shoot action there. It can be very exciting since there's water all around and there can be boat chases. Even travel films like 'Before Sunset' can be shot there.
People seldom get the right platform or direction. I have seen a lot of people who did not get the right place to showcase their talent.
You come back with an actor for the second time only when you had a successful and creatively satisfying experience the first time round.
If you are a part of a family, that family does not treat you badly when you are down, it supports you to revive.
I cannot make a superhero film.
When you read the book, you paint the picture but when you adapt a book then the audience will, by and large, say the book was better and every filmmaker knows this.
Godfather' is based on a book and it is one of the best films.
I always like to give and present my actors in a different look.
Attention spans are so limited and ticket prices so high. We're anyway in a business of manipulating emotions. But each film needs to be positioned truthfully so that people don't feel cheated.
You can't think of a franchise from day one. It starts with the audience accepting the idea.
Box office success is pertinent but the story has to have a life beyond the two hours.
I used Malta as a location to shoot a lot of my action sequences, and that's because we don't have the kind of setup that Malta Film Studios does. They have a world-class facility.
There could be more 'Dhooms' every couple of years. There are chances of 'Dhoom: 4' and 'Dhoom: 5,' if people want it.
