Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
I didn't get that great a launch as an actress, but slowly and steadily, I made my presence felt in the industry.
For me, love is magic; it's about trust and understanding. It's putting the other person before you effortlessly.
I consider myself as a director's actor, so I'm open to work with filmmakers from across the country and even abroad.
I always feel blessed because so many people have taken me under their wings, nurtured me, and made me a part of their vision.
What you are is what you are, and I don't think you should ever fight it. But as an actor, I feel lucky to play different parts.
People who can actually challenge me and push me and almost push me to breaking point and extract a performance out of me, I really enjoy that.
I want to do different things. I don't want to be stuck in the 'sweet girl' box. I don't want to be stuck in the 'Oh, she is so glamorous' box.
According to me, a film can talk for itself. Like, Aamir Khan does not promote his films on a large scale, but his films work on the box office.
Akshay Kumar is always on time. He is always disciplined and hard working but also always entertaining, fun behind the camera and also in front of it.
I'm really pleased with the way my career is shaping up. How many actresses get a chance to work with legends like Mani Ratnam and Sanjay Leela Bhansali?
While shooting for 'Kaatru Veliyidai,' I was living my childhood dream of working with my favourite director. It was surreal and thrilling at the same time.
I read a lot, but in comparison to my family, it's nothing. I keep telling them, 'I'm the illiterate of the family.' My grandfather used to read five books at a time.
I feel that I don't know anything, I don't know how to act, but I can surrender myself to a director I respect and love. I feel very lucky to be a part of their visions.
I am very petite and feel that structured clothes look very flattering on me. That's why I always pick up clothes which are neat, pretty, have lace or made of soft fabrics.
I'm very clear about my priorities - quality and credibility is important to me. A film and a character that lives beyond my years is important to me. People's love is important to me.
My family was extremely progressive. My parents had a love marriage, but they separated when I was two years old. I moved to Delhi with my mom, who got involved with the family business.
'Happy girls are the prettiest,' and to be in the camera frame makes me happy. I just want myself to keep working. I can be in front of the camera for 48 hours continuously without any breaks.
Everyone associates Hyderabad with biryani, so when I say I was born here, the first thing people ask is - 'When will you make Hyderabadi khana for us?' Whenever I make biryani, my friends come over.
When you step inside a set and transform into a character, it's your first brush with that role. It doesn't matter who you have worked with. Every character will be a first in your life as an artiste.
The experience of shooting a film is about the script, the captain of the ship who is the director, and the way they push their actors and teams to give their best. It's not about the language and the region.
I don't really understand why we are paid less than the male actors, because we put equal efforts, and recent past has shown that actresses can deliver a hit film. We deserve better pay, equal to what actors get.
I remember in a film of mine, though both my co-star and I were newcomers, he got far better paid than me. I was shocked and appalled. I actually asked him what different are you doing that you are getting better paid!
I don't want the baggage of knowing things when I walk on to a set. I am more comfortable being an empty slate, surrendering before a director and writer's vision. I've realised that this is the best way for me to function.
When a script shows two individuals attracted to each other, why can't they kiss on screen? As far as the scene is honest, not meant to titillate the masses, and, most importantly, I am convinced about it, I am okay with it.
In general, a film's delay is disheartening for actors, but it's harder on the director and the producer who have been on the project for longer than anyone else. While actors move on to other projects, the film's makers don't.
The industry is a difficult place to be in. It is not at all rosy. There are judgements being made. I don't like bad publicity, but that is part and parcel of it. However, I am grateful for whatever I have got from the industry.
Though all actors do not make good directors, Dhanush is really one of the finest. He knows exactly how to direct an actor to extract the performance the way he wants it. Perhaps that is happening because he is a performer himself.
No artiste wants to be boxed. We thrive on challenging roles, and they can come from anywhere. I consider myself blessed to be recognised as a pan-Indian actor. Yes, it means more hard work, prepping more for the roles, but I'm all for it.
I do not experiment very much and prefer the kind of clothes that Sabyasachi designs - they are rooted in our traditions and yet are very modern. I think it has something to do with my growing-up years and the kind of clothes I saw around me.
Most of the parents in India, especially in smaller towns, fear for daughters due to the inhuman treatment meted out to them. They want her to go away, saying, 'You're not my responsibility anymore.' I don't understand: why don't we nurture our girls?
For someone, success is to be the highest paid actress. For some, it might be the number of awards, and for some, it is the number of films. Honestly, I feel privileged when a celebrated filmmaker offers me a role so that I can be a part of his vision. That is success for me.
My mother is a Chitrapur Saraswat from Mangalore and half-Telugu, and my father is a Bohri Muslim. My mother's father, J Rameshwar Rao, was the Raja of Wanaparthy, a principality of Hyderabad. He was influenced by the socialist movement and became the first Raja to give up his title.
In film business or any business, for that matter, there are people with different mindsets. Some would be compassionate and respectful, some might just be the womaniser, but how can we generalise that? That is wrong, I guess... That way, in a male-dominating society, shining is tough for women.
I guess people feel that if you're working with good directors and are known in the Hindi film industry, then you won't work in South films. However, I believe that films have no boundaries of language, religion, or cast. If it's a good script and a good director, I can do a film in Spanish as well.
My great grandfather from my father's side, Sir Akbar Hydari, was the prime minister of the Nizam of Hyderabad. He was instrumental in setting up the Osmania university. His wife set up the Hydari club for women so that they could play tennis, and she also set up the first girls' school in Hyderabad.