I owe 40 per cent of my success to films from the south like 'Himmatwala,' 'Toofan,' 'Mawaali,' 'Maqsad,' Tamil and Telegu films such as 'Big Boss,' 'Apurva Shar,' 'Gangleader,' etc. I salute the south for contributing immensely to my success.
I knew that all South Indian language films were first made in Chennai and that Tamil Nadu is one of the biggest film-producing centres in the country. I wanted to be part of films here.
If you remain open to great directors who look like you, who know what they're doing and are making impactful films that are destroying these 'blockbuster films,' you can do okay, and everybody can get more of a piece of the pie. But you've got to be open and brave.
In fact, my earliest films were in Tamil and Telugu and since then I have been acting in all languages.
Honestly, I was always very keen on acting in the South Indian films. I think people here have a notion that Bollywood actresses aren't keen on doing films here but let me tell you, we are.
We know of instances of stage plays being made into films. But I really think that all Tamil films can be staged; I'd like to take up K. Balachander's films and do that.
I owe my career in the South to Tamil films.
I don't compare myself with Freida Pinto. She has come a long way. She does only films in the West. I am open to do both - Indian films and films from the West.
I'm always open. I try not to have a closed mind. In fact the only reason why I'm able to continue to make films since 1986 is I have been adaptable. If I weren't flexible I sure wouldn't be making films this many years as I've been doing it. I've been making a film a year almost since 1986 and that's hard. That ain't easy.
I don't want to make films that give you the answer. If there is a message to my films - and I hope there isn't - it's to be open-minded.
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.
I definitely am open to South Indian films. There is a lot of good work coming from these states and I would like to be a part in some of them.
For me, Malayalam films remain the most important. I don't want to do more Tamil films just for the sake of it.
In Tamil or Malayalam, there was a time when light films ruled. Then, a spate of drama or women-oriented stunt films followed.
Films with female protagonists don't attract many eyeballs. Most of them are perceived as feminist films. If Bollywood starts giving women major roles in entertaining movies, then the audience, too, will open up to the idea of watching commercial films in which the actresses do more than just play the role of the hero's love interest.
The fact that I have done films down South didn't boost or hamper my chances here. In fact, I was still shooting for both my Telugu films when I met Ashu sir for 'Mohenjo Daro.' During the audition, he gave me five scenes with lengthy dialogues. Once I cleared them, he gave me a song to dance to. So, my Bollywood entry was no cakewalk.