In Mumbai, I feel like a stranger.

Yes, I am nervous before a film's release and withdraw into a shell.

I think I have made too many cop films.

It is in college that one gathers confidence as the mind is open to ideologies.

I don't read the reviews because it somewhere affects my work. If some critic doesn't like a movie, I can't keep his criticisms in mind the next time I am making a film. Even if someone writes a great review about my film, I don't want to be affected by it.

How the audience as a collectivity feels about a movie is important.

I'm not a big fan of fantasy; I'd rather watch 'Desperate Housewives' than 'Game of Thrones.'

If I could talk in only one language for the rest of my life, it'd be Tamil.

The only aspect I'd probably change in some of my films is the death of the heroine. I wish I'd kept some of them alive.

I go straight into shooting with a script that's 80 per cent complete and I wait for my characters to grow on me before I finalise the climax.

When people think I've lost it, I'll make 'Chennaiyil' and show them I've still got it.

Most of the romance in my films has been inspired by my father.

I understand that bureaucracy, hierarchy and managing politics is not easy.

If my tale has to revolve around a protagonist and there is action around him, I can only imagine him to be someone from the police or the Army.

Yennai Arindhaal' is perhaps the quickest film in my career.

Generally, I feel I'm cast aside because of the kind of movies that I make.

I firmly believe in copyrights and am put off by plagiarism.

Today, most big stars want scripts to be written in a particular way, show them in a certain light. They want people to like them for various reasons. It's all about how much people will like me in this film than about whether it's a good film or not.

All the women close to me - my mother, sister, wife and friends - are strong and independent.

One reason why I've taken 11 years to make my second Hindi film is because I am comfortable working with the stars in the South, as they are with me.

The industry doesn't usually say nice things about my work. My films take a while till they are accepted as good and I think 'Yennai Arindhaal' too will go through that phase.

Even bigger directors like Mani Ratnam and Ram Gopal Varma have faced flak, that doesn't mean they've shied away from filmmaking.

It's just that I can write something nice is what motivates me.

Ekk Deewana Tha' will have a surprise ending to watch out for.