Fame is a mirage.

Two directors always come with two thought processes.

Becoming the character you are playing might work for some, but for me, it doesn't. I always maintain a gap between myself and my character because if I will go so deep into it, it will get difficult for me to come back. You should work towards understanding the psyche of your character and then play it.

It's an extraordinary story told with simplicity. 'Raazi' is about people who put the country before anything else.

If you normally go quiet when you get angry, you may not relate to a character that reacts very differently. But if you see someone internalising the anger like you do, you will immediately identify with him or her. It's these small things that penetrate your psyche and make you relate at a deeper level.

With rising Covid-19 cases and deaths in India, the government should have thought of the repercussions before opening liquor shops.

It's foolish and such a shame that we attack those working for everyone's safety.

I am very romantic inside.

Whenever I read a script or sign a film, I don't see whether he is a bad guy or a good guy. I see how much the character is contributing to the story? How much is the importance of the character in taking the story forward? And what new I would be able to learn and what new I would be able to try in that?

I have to do good roles.

I was lucky to be a student of FTII, Pune.

I have no complaints from my characters, be it in 'Commando' or 'Gangs of Wasseypur' everyone on those films was grey.

People who are highly motivated, when it comes to dogs, they will go to any extent. Sometimes I feel that dogs play a more important role in their lives, more than other humans do.

In someone's life, dogs can be very important which in turn changes everyone else's lives.

When you expect something, there's also a certain fear about whether or not that expectation will be fulfilled.

Every 10-15 years, society changes. The thinking of a 10-year-old kid changes when he turns 20. Such changes can be seen in every aspect of life. People's preferences also change with time.

It feels good to get new opportunities.

I don't mind getting typecast as long as it is not overpowering me as an actor.

Audience want to watch a good performance at the end of the day.

Being born in a small town, you have got many advantages. You get to experience so many things in life.

I weighed 100 kg while shooting 'Paatal Lok.' I am 6 feet and therefore it might not appear that I weigh so much.

You get more time to see the growth of a character in a series, there's no scope for that in films.

I love dancing and can very well manage Bollywood dancing.

I've grown up with bhangra and Haryanvi folk dances.

My father would tell me my defects but never praise me to my face. The good things about me he would only tell others when I wasn't around.

In my village, Kharkara, 20 km from Rohtak, I would work in our fields of sugarcane, wheat and paddy while dreaming of the day I would join the army, and receive a hero's welcome every time I came home on leave. In our part of the world, a soldier is a star.

When we don't say 'male director,' then why call them 'female directors?'

A terrorist for one man could be a patriot for another.

It is an interesting feeling to be appreciated within the industry and from the audience as well.

It is the responsibility of filmmakers, actors and writers, who have the freedom to do the kind of work they want to do irrespective of whether it is good or not.

It does not bother me whether my work is reaching the audience through cinema, TV or a web series.

The mode of work as well the reach of all media are different.

When the material written is very good then half of your work is done by the writer itself. When there's a well-defined character written, then the attempt is to be as honest to the material as possible.

When you get creative liberty, it's amazing.

I have worked with brilliant people, so it has been a great journey and learnt a lot from them.

Got a chance to work with amazing and finest directors like Priyadarshan, Anurag Kashyap, Imtiaz Ali, Meghna Gulzar, Vipul Shah, Dibakar Banerjee, Kamal Haasan, etc.

It is great for your work to get through to both the masses and classes.

I was in a bad shape after missing out on my army dream. What I couldn't say and express to everybody, stage gave me the space to release.

I'm not the sorts to have many hopes. There's no point.