Meeting Helen Mirren was a fabulous experience. I had played it out in my mind, how I should greet her when we would be introduced. But the way we met was funny because I just didn't recognise her!

In western countries, there are roles written for older actors. Films are made on them, including love stories.

We have filmmakers who make films with some kind of responsibility and take cinema seriously like Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani, Prakash Jha. But now these people also take stars Without stars they cannot work.

What Bollywood lacks is scripts. A lot of the films are copies of western films.

I don't spend on expensive brands. I don't need foreign holidays.

I have been in the film industry for 35 years, and everyone, including the spot-boys, will vouch for my character.

Actors are just soldiers who follow commands.

I prefer working in good cinema, wherever it is. I like subjects that have a universal appeal.

In theatre, you've got to make the connect with your audience in the first three minutes. If you haven't, you know you've almost lost them.

Our stars are quite notorious. I mean, they don't show up on time. This is, you know, something which is very, very annoying.

The fact is I like Mumbai less and less. My son says, 'Baba, let's go for a drive', and I tell him, 'Where's the fun of a drive in this place?' You get caught in a million traffic jams, and you spend time cooped in your car with all that mad cacophony around you.