“I come from a family of doctors and engineers, and everyone expected me to take up a similar career. That was the most natural thing to do!”

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.

I am not saying that those who crave for conventional stardom are wrong in their aspirations. But that’s not what I want.

I am not lost. I am very much alive.

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.

I experienced a lot of things while I was working with Dibakar Banerjee.

I love layering with great fitting jackets.

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

Everybody is in a hurry to decode you in a certain way, and then they expect you to adhere to their definition. How can they possibly do that when you yourself are finding it hard to discover yourself?

When I am in front of the camera or on stage, I am not me.

The best thing is to accept the circumstances, not take them personally, deal with them, stop complaining, and give everything your best.

I despise women wearing too much makeup. It hides their actual beauty.

Bringing out your vulnerable side and shedding your privacy in front of complete strangers is so very difficult, but when you are into the performance, the relief and release is so extraordinary that you get addicted.

Dilbar’ is very close to me. It was a turning point in my career.

When you research prolific songwriters, it is usually later in their career they write songs that they distance themselves from, or it’s about other people.

You will only be great at things you love to do don’t pursue a career in something you hate to do.

I think towards the end of my career, I’m the man. But right now, I’ve still got that underdog mentality to keep on proving myself time and again. I’m not going to believe the hype.

No doubt about it, in my career Ron Lyle hit me the hardest. One time he hit me so hard I didn’t see it until I saw it on film when I woke up!

I love any time you can enlighten people to mistakes, that’s how I started my career.

Playing with Queen was the biggest moment of my career. It was like living a childhood fantasy.

No offence to Nicki Minaj, but her career has essentially been a Lil’ Kim tribute