“When I began acting, my biggest fear was whether the audience will appreciate the kind of films I do.”

I want my films to make money first. Awards and all can come later.

As an actor, you create a character from your understanding of what you have heard and your observations. Eventually, every film is an extension of the images that I have seen or what I have heard or read somewhere.

I try to choose characters that don’t remind the audience of my previous roles. I make a conscious effort for that.

I am a bad boy. I don’t come across clearly to a lot of people, so I am bad for them.

I will happily sit at home and take care of the house.

It’s the failure of my debut film which made me an actor, which made me want to succeed in the industry. But that doesn’t mean I regret whatever choices I’ve made over the years. No, not even ‘Kaiyethum Doorathu!’

I often see only my mistakes. I always feel I could have done better. Every artist goes through it.

I’m not a person who goes out of my way to change my look. I like my characters to look as natural as possible.

I wasn’t really sure about the kind of films I wanted to be a part of. That’s when I saw ‘Aaranya Kaandam.’ I was stunned; it was such a stylish film.

I want my films to do the talking. I feel if people have to understand me better, I should do more good films. I just want them to know me through my films.

I am not affected or carried away by success or failure.

I love the forest. It is the place where you hear yourself better.

Mistakes happen, and then you try to overcome those. I like that process.

I’ve done only things I’ve liked, and I’m happy that others have liked them, too. I hope it keeps going that way. But l would never want to do films which please just one set of audience; they should connect with everyone.

Mohan Raja is an interesting filmmaker. He is constantly, if I may use the word, contradicting himself. He explains a scene, and then he will try to break that and rebuild it. That, to me, is filmmaking. Every scene is constructed after a lot of discussions.

When I am with my friends, I am comfortable.

I can’t imagine working without and audience.

When audiences come to see us authors lecture, it is largely in the hope that we’ll be funnier to look at than to read.

Westerns are very difficult to predict whether they’ll reach an audience or not.

It’s always hard to explain why an audience ultimately responds to a movie.

The audience likes their emotions to be touched. They want to laugh and cry and feel good.

The audience is the barometer of the truth.

Of course, it’s a great joy to be able to perform. And that love affair with an audience, where you give love and they give love back – it’s a romantic situation.

The audience is not your boss. They are your collaborators and when you collaborate with someone you don’t have to listen to everything they think or say.