Quotes

You don't have to be working in a minefield or have a beedi in your mouth to feel what you are feeling. So much happens every day and I find those dramatic moments very exciting. The other day I spotted a woman at a temple praying so intensely that her face hasn't left [me] since. I was like God please grant her whatever she wants.

I have been born and brought up in Mumbai and truly feel that the song [Bombay Bombay] is a perfect tribute to a city in which the story of the film Striker (2010) is based. The song plays ode to the spirit of Mumbai. Siddharth has earlier sung in quite a few of his Telugu and Tamil films and is indeed a talented singer. So we thought it was best that he only sing this song.

Striker (2010) is the story of a carrom player; however it's not a sports film. It's more like a biopic of a boy who happens to be a carrom player. The film is set in the ghettos of Mumbai during the 80's. That essentially forms the crux of the story.

Ram Gopal Varma doesn't interfere with your creativity. He lets you be but at the same time is there whenever you need him. He never even came on my sets though he was completely involved in the whole process.

I have played carrom while growing up with family and friends. What is surprising is the fact that even though carrom as a sport is so common in the underbelly of the country it's not gained the popularity that it should have. I don't know why? It's a great indoor sport that the whole family could play and on any given day, you never know, every player has an equal chance of emerging triumphs on his/her day.

[Director] Nagraj Manjule was very clear that he wanted to end Fandry (2013) right from the start. The black screen. It was very personal.

After hearing the story [of Fandry (2013)] whatever I had imagined, the shooting material was much more than that. Director Nagraj Manjule said a lot with that film without getting preachy. It was so subtle, and so beautifully layered.

[Commenting on why he prefers working with first-time filmmakers] When people are starting off, they want to say many things. I think it's also the purity, not being contrived, that sort of attracts me.

Anupam Kher's part (of Inspector Farooq) in the film [Striker (2010)] is not long in terms of screen time but is very crucial to the screenplay of the film. So when we approached him for the role, we were thrilled that he agreed. He is one of the most sincere and honest actors of our industry. He is world famous and his presence in the film adds a lot of credibility to the project.