I used to wonder how anyone could treat a fellow human as God. I never understood why they would do this.

That's the beauty of Mumbai. While some parts have grown rapidly, there are places like Churchgate that have retained their character.

I don't watch my old films like 'Roja,' 'Dil Se' because I only see mistakes. I see five minutes of the film and I am scared I will start finding mistakes in them.

In a film like 'Kannathil Muthamittal,' I can't have a Rajnikanth or a Kamal Haasan. If you have a star, the expectation of the film is different. So, you cast according to the subject of the film. Some films are best done with stars because it gives you a base on which if you can get the correct performance, you can reach higher.

The journey of filmmaking is so amazing. You start off with great confidence, and develop insecurity at the time of release. When you are ready with the finished product, you are constantly wondering if you have been honest to the story you started out with, if you got what you wanted. One is too close to the project by then to be objective.

I am a big fan of sleek action films.

The thing is that when you make a film, it is such an intense experience. It's like being married.

Art is something in which you are never an expert at any point of time. It's something you hone all the time and something which is elusive all the time.

Characters are not created on paper or laptop alone.

I was never good at school, couldn't get a job. I was a disaster when I tried to do things the way the world wanted me to.

I would say more power to women who scream from the rooftop about something wrong done to them, whether it is after 10 years or 20 or 50... It doesn't make a difference.

I am not a person who believes in austerity or denial.

People love miracles; they love stories which break through adversities.

I do not want myself to be restricted to a pigeonholed kind of filmmaker.

If you can't put problems in your own backyard to rest, then how can you deal with larger issues?

'Dhoka,' I think, is not just meant for Pakistan and India but for South Asia.

I'm not a stranger to the persecution that Muslims have faced over the years.

Having buildings, growth models, having great progress, flyovers, and no human being is feeling for human being is a nightmare scenario.

I am in the business of entertainment.

I have made more good films than anyone else in the country.

'Hamari Adhuri Kahani' is a very emotional perspective on a traditional Indian woman.

It would be false if I claim that the Congress has in the past not let down its ideology, especially pertaining to Muslim community.

It's extremely important that plays reflect contemporary times and should not just be about asking for social change without having any connect with the audience.

One needs strong performance to put across a point in theatre.