Rajiv Menon

I love telling stories. But I believe that nobody could teach you to direct a movie.

I make my living by shooting ad-films, and, in fact, that's how I began my career.

Rajarathinam Pillai was a performing genius and a crusader. His was a shining mind, prone to excesses of temper and his life can be seen as a continuous struggle for recognition.

I have a brother and we lost our father when I was 15. And that was a big emotional upheaval in my life.

The actor should understand the script and come prepared to play the role. At the same time, they should be flexible enough to take the director's input and portray his vision.

For example, Taj Mahal is the first thing which comes to the minds of many foreigners who visit India, and how Eiffel Tower in Paris, but there is lot more to every country.

Cinema is about transferring thought into action.

Nothing prepares you for shooting in the sea. Some days the sea is choppy, some days the waves are long. When there is no wind, it's fantastic to shoot, but your brain is burning because of the heat. You are shooting hand-held and taking a crane on a boat, which is risky since you can get toppled over.

When an actor constructs reality, it has to be riveting and entertaining. There has to be an emotional connect with the audience.

Ashok Mehta did not go to any institute. He did not carry the baggage of formal education.

I like fractured characters with human follies.

Filmmaking is a language where you empathise with human situations. Unless you have empathy for characters, you shouldn't be a filmmaker.