Quotes from Sriram Raghavan

My working style is democratic and I want people to be honest with me. Reputation makes everyone agree with your point, which is dangerous for any filmmaker.

I do not think that when I write a female character, I intend to reflect my thoughts on gender equality, but I always make sure that my female character is not decorative, they are human, they are good, bad, complex and close to reality.

People often get caught in situations or do something that they regret for the rest of their lives. What happens and how you try to cover up is the story. These are not career criminals.

Unless the movie is about to release, I don't like to be in the limelight. Then I have no choice, but after that you have to get back.

Shoot The Piano Player' is one of my favourite films, though apparently it failed very badly when it released.

Often I would get offers to remake films and that didn't interest me. I have no interest in remaking a film in Hindi which has been made in the south already. I prefer adapting from a book than a movie.

What you see in my script may not be what's in the film. Sometimes it's a very scary thing, when I have to shoot in the morning and the scene's not good enough, and it's only me there, and there's no signal to even call the others and say, think of a better line.

For thrillers, it's especially difficult to carve out a good trailer.

My idea is to write a story where every character is well etched out, irrespective of their gender. Because they all are human beings and stories are on the situation and human mind.

My second film 'Johnny Gaddar' got delayed because of financial reasons. The film was taken over by another production house and in the process we lost a year.

My two bits here are that writing is a solitary job but there are times when one needs to discuss the work, and see what's working and what's not.

If you're unwell you can simply cuddle up in bed and tune into a thriller. It's the best remedy.

Badlapur' has got an excellent soundtrack even though it wasn't planned at all in the beginning.

Ek Hasina Thi' is a love story that went sour.

In love stories you have to establish the mood and then you can go on. Writing thrillers are difficult because every scene needs a twist. May be comedy is even more difficult but I have no experience of it.

On a serious note, I just enjoy exploring the unconventional. I like Alfred Hitchcock; I actually grew up watching his films. A thriller gives you much more scope of exhibiting creativity in terms of playing with the camera and sound, as against a typical love story.

When I started watching movies, I saw a lot of Hitchcock films. When I was 10, I saw 'North by Northwest' and movies like that.

It is unlike the quintessential thriller where someone is up to something and the audience is speculating. 'Johnny Gaddaar' is the opposite of a thriller. In this case, the audience knows right from the outset what transpires and who the likely culprit is. It is a suspense caper.

As a filmmaker, I want to bring some value, some thought in the mind of my audience. When I embark on the journey of storytelling, I am an explorer.

I love songs but am inhibited to have my characters burst out to express themselves through songs. I use the route of using old songs at the right places.

If I work with Shah Rukh, it will be as an actor, not a star. Whenever I have thought of making a film with some star in mind, I've abandoned the film in a few weeks.

When you are working on a real story it is your responsibility to get everything right and stay as true and authentic as possible.

The experience of an actual film from idea to screen will teach me more than most books and lectures.

I wanted to make films, but the films being made in the 1990s were not my kind. I couldn't break in, and even if I did manage to get a foothold, I didn't know what I would make.