“Dibakar and Shekhar have the vision that we would associate with European cinema. They leave their actors on their own to give a personal narration on the screen.”

TV helped me understand camera angles, close-ups, master shots.

What keeps me going are my learnings, which I would rather call my ‘experience,’ and my urge to explore.

I have made a lot of mistakes, but I am proud of them all.

What people think of me doesn’t affect me. As bizarre as it sounds, I don’t have a Google alert on my phone; I don’t read newspapers, and I don’t watch television. If something important happens, I will get to know about it.

I realised quite early that by the time I articulate my thoughts into words, I’m on to another thought. And what comes out wasn’t what I thought of exactly. So not talking was a better option.

I left everything I had to become an actor. So, I better be excited, or otherwise, there is no point in doing all this. Else I would end up being disappointed with whatever I achieve.

Since I think I am very boring in normal life, I tend to hide behind all these exciting characters, making people believe that I am someone else entirely. That feeling is very powerful.

People assume that actors working in films won’t have the time to do theatre. But I make sure that whenever I’m free, I watch a play.

I read the script. If I like it, I would do anything I am asked to.

As an actor, you think you know your craft, you know the conflicts in your character, but often you don’t.

I never think about what people will think when they watch me on screen.

I am not bothered with whether my characters are conventional or not. Because I am not in this for the designer labels and the autographs.

I think people generally are lost, as they keep thinking about what is going to happen and what they have done. They are not alive anymore. The art of listening is missing. In their head, they are doing something else.

We should never forget the inevitable, as we will lose everything eventually. So, why fret over any kind of security? The idea is to just fly and experience it all while it lasts.

I am learning the importance of living in the moment.

Money was a big differentiator when I was growing up, but I made sure it doesn’t stay that way.

Theatre is a must for actors. They should try it at least once. It makes you disciplined, teaches you to respect your work, and boosts your confidence as an actor.

An actor has to remember the primary reason why he chose the profession that he did. If every role that I do doesn’t challenge me, then what is the point of being an actor?

Frankly, I’m an actor right now because of Shah Rukh. When I was in school and even when studying engineering, I used to watch his films.

As an actor, you think you know your craft, you know the conflicts in your character, but often you don’t.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is the best actor because his choice of roles are so diametrically opposite from each other, and he pulls it off almost every time so convincingly.

It’s cruel to compare two actors working with two different filmmakers on two different characters.

You have to trust your instincts. There is a moment when an actor has it, and he knows it.

Don Siegel last advice to me was ‘Don’t short yourself.’ He said the tendency is when an actor’s directing is to kind of you want to work on everybody else but you’re going to short yourself. He said, take the time to do a good job with yourself so that you’re satisfied with it.