I grew up in a small town in India, but through books I knew the world.

Never treat anything you do as a stepping stone. Do it fully, and follow it completely.

If we don't tell our own stories, no one else will.

Making films is about having absolute and foolish confidence; the challenge for all of us is to have the heart of a poet and the skin of an elephant.

It is because my roots are so strong that I can fly.

What is really important to me is a sense of humour and a mischief about life. Life is just too boring otherwise.

We all know the power of film; we all know there's almost nothing more powerful than to see people on film that look and talk like you, like we do.

We have to realize only in communication, in real knowledge, in real reaching out, can there be an understanding that there's humanity everywhere, and that's what I'm trying to do.

Christmas lights may be the loneliest thing for me, especially if you mix them up with reindeers and sleighs. I feel alone. I feel isolated. I feel I do not belong.

I am still attracted to stories about people who are considered to be on the outside of society. I still seek inspiration from those stories.

'Salaam Bombay' didn't put a halo on the poor. Instead, it said that they will teach us how to live.

Your prayer for someone may or may not change them, but it always changes YOU.

First smile!! An unseasonal little shower of rain fell here, and a lot of butterflies drowned, so we put them in the sun and they came back to life, and flew up and then Agaat SMILED!

It amazes me when education, religion and family values fail to create a human being.

When you are clearly-defined, deliberate with intention and operating at your highest level, your brilliance cannot be hidden, diminished or overshadowed.

I think people think I spend loads but I very rarely treat myself. I could splash out on lots of things but I put my money into properties.

If frogs could fly... well we'd still be in this mess, but wouldn't it be neat?

Whatever you could do with your hands was important because it kept you in a motion of being able to produce something, and producing something kept you balanced in a way.

I was never the cool kid, I was never hot in high school. I was never popular. You don't have to be perfect and you don't have to be rich and you can still be successful.

With young people everything is much more on the surface - all the emotions; when you get older you know how to hide things.

Transforms old print To zigzag manuscript, and cheats the eyes Of gallery critics by a thousand arts.