Quotes from Farhan Akhtar

To hear someone talk about their life - you get to know the way their eyes moisten up, how big the smile is or how comfortable their body language is while talking to someone.

Fitness is about keeping yourself healthy. This is something you do for yourself and for your loved ones.

I think, the world over, new ideas have come from young people. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it is rare that new or radical ideas come from old people.

Friendship brings in a lot of honesty and trust into any relationship, especially a marriage.

I like to make films with characters that resemble real people, about societies that exist.

I like to stay within the zone of one character. It would disturb me to break away and go into an entirely different territory.

It was interesting to write ad films and scripts for TV shows before I moved on to writing a feature film. That helped me grow as a writer, and I also found out how long I could sit in front of a computer and see something through.

If you had a fabricated story coming out every two weeks or every month, it would affect you. You would be like, 'What's the problem with people?' or 'Why can't they let me be?' And that's the thought that comes into anyone's mind.

If you were to put me under one umbrella, call me a storyteller.

If someone has behaved badly with a woman. and she hasn't spoken about it for ten, 20, or 30 years, it's her prerogative when she wants to speak.

As much as a man would like to believe that he understands women, there is simply that much that he can write from their point of view or really understand them.

Be the catalyst for change. Empowering women, empowering humanity

Whether it is crimes against women, whether it's discrimination against women, whether it's just social bias against women - these things should be anomalies; they should not be the norm.

Most Hindi movies tend to dramatise events. They are very dialogue heavy. Characters don't speak like people normally do in real life.

For me, to consciously seek unpredictable roles would be dangerous.

Everything I do is gauged under the shadow of 'Dil Chahta Hai.' Even 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' and 'Rock On,' which are very urban films. So I am always seen through that lens.

Every director has a sensibility and style, and what works is his originality and conviction.

Being healthy is not just about building a body: it is a lifestyle that manifests itself in your general outlook. It makes you more positive and optimistic and increases your energy level.

Indian food beats everything else, in my book. The kinds of cuisine our country offers is just amazing. Every single dish has a variation depending on what region you go to, and that excites me the most about Indian food.

Every time you work with a new co-star, a whole new dynamic emerges.

'Deewar' has been remade so many times, 'Trishul' has been remade so many times. But 'Don' - no one has gone into this area as often as they have gone into these other movies, and I think it fits into the modern sensibility of movie viewing quite well.

It does not feel any different being directed by a first-timer as long as I am convinced that the director is passionate about the film he or she is making. If you get a sense of their vision for the film and their aesthetics of your performance, then it does not matter whether you work with a new or an experienced director.

With 'Dil Chahta Hai' being the first film and 'Lakshya' being the second, what people can expect from Excel Entertainment as a company, and from me as a director, is just good, clean entertainment. And hopefully, some residue of an idea or thought that you can take home and mull over.

When not working, my days are lazy.