Though I was nominated for awards for films like 'Tezaab' and 'Apna Sapna Money Money' but I never won an award. Now I am not even nominated for any awards but still I attend the award functions as I love being there despite figuring prominently in a lot of leg pulling that goes around in the award ceremonies.
I don't set out to win awards. I don't think any musician does, but when you receive an award, it's an affirmation: it means that people appreciate what you do. Every award I have received is a confirmation of something I have done, and that motivates me to push a little harder.
It's better to be nominated for awards than not to be nominated for them, but of course to some degree such awards [National Book Award] are always subjective.
I have won so many awards including the Padma Shri and Arjuna Award. But all these awards do not carry the kind of prestige they did once.
An award, to me, means a bonus. It's not that an actor works for an award. I don't work for an award. But, when you get an award, it is encouraging and inspiring and reminds you that you need to do well.
Apart from the National Film Awards, I don't see any other award ceremony that I should give value
to. My personal experience about these award ceremonies is that I don't trust them. I have no faith
in them so I would prefer to stay away.
For me, it's not about the awards. I don't define success by how many awards you have or how much money you have. To me, success is if I'm happy. If you have $20 million in the bank and you're not happy, you're not successful to me - that's my opinion.
There's a big difference between the National Book Awards and the Academy Awards. At the Academy Awards you can feel the greed and envy and ego. Whereas the National Book Awards are in New York.
The reality is that we have all these awards and all these festivals that give out awards, so you sort of go, 'okay, well, people liked the film, and I think it's a good film, and it's up for an award - well, I guess it should win the award then.'
For me, awards are a token of respect that people are giving me. So no matter how many awards I am receiving, I always feel emotional.
I have won many awards and I am very happy about this, but I am not the best player in the world.
I was a little press writer when the National Endowment for the Arts came to my rescue and gave me an award. I couldn't buy a light bulb. Almost more than the money, the awards are important because they show that someone believes in you.
Awards have lost their charm. The experience of getting an award has completely dissolved. Awards functions start in December and go on till April and are distributed for anything and everything. Categories like Best Jodi, Best Dressed Celebrity are all redundant.
It is a great honor for me to be presented the award by Mikhail Gorbachev and also to be acknowledged with the World Actress Award at the Women World Awards Gala 2005.
Mostly, I am waiting. Got to finish the edit, I am waiting. Dubbing must get over, I am waiting. Waiting for shoot. Waiting for the set. When you are waiting, your mind isn't relaxed enough to watch a film.
I have never won a single award - National or Filmfare - and I just hope they don't give me a Lifetime Achievement Award because I won't accept it.