Quotes from Shoojit Sircar

I think Mary Kom should be an international star.

All my stories are mainly slice-of-life and rooted to real issues and situations that I have experienced myself.

For me, 'Gulabo Sitabo' is a satire... I wanted to do satire and I think it's turned out exactly how I wanted it to be.

'Gulabo Sitabo' is a simple satire on life. It's a genre I have tried for the first time.

When I got to Mumbai, I missed the Delhi parks and grounds.

All my films were based on sensitive issues, and they were passed without any problems. I give full credit to the Censor Board for being capable enough to do their work well.

My first visit to Lucknow was perhaps in 1995-96. I was then working with theatre director Ranjit Kapur on the production of 'Court Martial' and we travelled to Lucknow on assignment.

'Piku' is not at all a film in the Bollywood kind of way.

If I bother about the expectations how will I make a film?

'Gulabo Sitabo' is the biggest release for me. The film is going to 203 countries simultaneously and it is successfully being subtitled in 20 languages including Portuguese, German, Spanish, Russian, French and many more.

Foremost is the casting; you need convincing faces. Most of our films suffer from casting.

My set is an open forum. Anybody can comment on anything and I take all suggestions from everyone. I am not rigid. If someone convinces me, I take the suggestion.

Whatever subject I choose, I do a PhD in it.

I have worked with Amitabh Bachchan in 'Pink' and 'Piku.' As soon as one film gets over, he is behind me, asking 'Which is the next film you are going to do with me?'

Lucknow is a bustling city with warm, friendly people. 'Gulabo Sitabo' is the essence of this city.

It is easier to make a film but difficult to make it on your own terms. In that sense 'Madras Cafe' was a very satisfying experience.

Both 'Gulabo Sitabo' and 'Udham Singh' are cinematic experiences; nothing is less, nothing is more. It's all about creating good cinema.

Lucknow's architecture is a part of life in the city.

'Madras Cafe' is set against the backdrop of the civil war in Sri Lanka in the 1990s.

Even 'Piku' was quite an experiment in terms of storytelling because on the surface nothing happens in the film. If you ask me what was the film about, it was about father-daughter fighting and the narrative captured their daily life.

I remember I used to play football in my childhood and my team had people from different faiths and backgrounds. It had the son of the person who would take us to the school on his rickshaw or the guy who came to pick up our garbage but I never knew this.

'Vicky Donor' is now seen as a case study and the intelligentsias are looking at it from a strong academic point of view. I keep getting calls from medical practitioners who constantly thank me for making this film.

Yes, I can be rigid and adamant about a point of view.

It is difficult to make movies on your own terms and also to make a film and convince somebody to have faith in it.