I remember breaking the news to both my parents that I wanted to be a director, and they both looked very doubtful. They didn't know what a closet Hindi film buff I was. I used to dance to old Hindi films songs on the sly, so my decision to be a part of Hindi cinema was shocking even for my parents.
I will not leave my South films for a Hindi film. I want to be sincere to my South film makers and commitments. Only if my dates are not clashing with any of my South films will I do Hindi films.
Until we got married, Radha didn't utter a word of English and now she won't speak Hindi. Her Hindi's pretty good actually - she learnt it while watching Hindi movies.
I was offered my first film right after my 10th board exams. Back then, I didn't even know they made films in the South. Films, I thought, were either in Hindi or English.
When I did my first Hindi film, 'Sargam,' I had to play a dumb girl. Critics went to town saying that since I was a south Indian and didn't know how to speak Hindi, producers of the movie decided to make me play dumb.
The film-watching crowd are mainly youngsters who see fashion on TV, in Hindi films, and in magazines.
Of course you cannot compare my Hindi with a Hindi-speaking person, but I am confident enough to hold a conversation in mixed Hindi-English.
Dubbing for myself in Hindi is a big task. I know Hindi. I can read and write Hindi, but I dont normally speak the language, and that is very important.
I watch a lot of Hindi films. I live in Hyderabad, where 60 per cent of the people speak Hindi.
Films like 'Satya,' 'Company' needed a pan-Indian audience. The affinity for Hindi film and subjects was there.
I'm not a television anchor for a Hindi channel or a radio jockey. So I may not be able to have a spontaneous conversation in Hindi. I'm a Bollywood actress, and I can certainly speak my dialogue in Hindi.
Most of Hindi films I made are remakes of my own films.
I haven't even grown up on Hindi films because my Hindi is bad; I am a Parsi and we speak English or Gujarati at home.
Directing a Hindi movie for the first time was easy because Hindi films have been batwing doors for me since 1992.
I like doing Marathi films. I am not too keen on Hindi TV shows. It's very tough to get Hindi films, but if a good script and role comes up in future, I will surely pick it up.
Ever since I was a little kid, the only thing that fascinated me, excited me, and engaged me was Hindi films. I didn't know anything beyond Hindi films. I was a 'filmi bachcha.'