I was doing theatre when somebody noticed me and referred me to Raju Hirani. And Raju saw me on camera, and there, I was a heavy guy with long hair. But I got selected for the role of Joy in '3 Idiots.'
Dil Raju's first film 'Dil' was with me and we were supposed to work together after that, but it didn't happen. Now, after 15 years we are working together and Dil Raju's passion for cinema is still intact.
Raju Hirani films are filled with simplicity and goodness. I really love such films.
I think Raju Hirani and Farah Khan are the only two filmmakers who can balance the multiplex audiences and the single-screen audiences.
I became a director by accident. M.S. Raju garu asked me to direct a movie, and I said OK. It all happened in 5 minutes.
When I was in Mumbai for the promotion of 'Makkhi,' I met Ajay Devgn, Kajol, and Shah Rukh Khan, and I wanted to meet Aamir Khan. He was shooting out of India. I also met my favourite director, Raju Hirani. All of them showered praises on 'Makkhi.'
I would love to work with Raju Hirani. I never thought I would have a wish-list of directors as such, but after seeing the consistency of his storylines and the human touch he gets in his film, I would love to work with him.
I usually played out and out heavies. No one else 'saw' me in any other role. No one else had ever believed I could be anything but a heavy. It was a heavy in a picture with Clara Kimball Young that June Mathis saw me and decided to cast me as Julio. 'There is the man for Julio,' she said, 'He, and no one other.'
The misconception about the record company is that they were the ones who got me wearing short skirts, or got me to do my hair blond, or got me to dance around onstage and start doing different things with my clothes. No, that was actually all me.
I and Dil Raju guru have always wanted to work with each other. He had sent to me stories, 4-5 over the years, but somehow, something was not perfect with them. But when I listened to 'Nenu Local,' I felt the time had arrived.
I always respect Dil Raju garu.
B.A. Raju garu is very knowledgeable when it comes to cinema. He has sound analysis.
Somebody saw me on 'Cheers' and thought that I was an actor playing a part as opposed to a guy just doing what he knew. And they gave me 'Night Court.' And by the time they realized I wasn't an actor, I had already signed a five-year contract.
My spiked hair goes back about 15 years ago. I had long, curly rocker hair then. The woman who cuts my hair thought I needed a new style, so I let her surprise me. I flipped when I first saw it, but I soon realized the look was really me. I've always been a little crazy.
O thanks be to the great God I got somebody to give me what I badly wanted to put some heart up into me youve no chances at all inthis place like you used long ago I wish somebody would write me a loveletter.
You won't see me on TMZ shaving my hair and yelling at the camera guy.
We actually found some home videos, some really funny footage of me when I was around 3 years old. I come up to the camera to do a Nixon impression. I don't know who taught me that, but I come up to the camera and said, 'I am not a crook.' I got a really good laugh. You see me register that bringing joy to people is a positive thing.