"The films I saw with my mother then, influence my choices today. I am lucky she picked some good
quality, commercial films."

"I wasn't really inclined towards studies. I think the only place my mum can call me 'Student of the Year'
is in the film, nowhere else.

"I broke his (Varun's) nose on the sets. It was an accident. We changed angles and there was a
miscalculation. He started bleeding. I was in the car with him. We were giving him chocolates and I knew
he is a filmy kid. I asked him, "What do you want bro?" He answers, "Yaar, please put on the radio
man!" That's Varun. He is vulnerable like that (laughs)." 

"When I was in Delhi, before I started modelling. I tried to ape Michael Jackson by pairing black shoes
with white socks. I learnt that this combination is a complete no-no for men!"

"I'd need a good reason to drop my pants"

"Laughter always works, compliments work...so does being honest. Girls like it when you chase them.
They like compliments. They like it when you use various means to get their attention."

"I think for boys, if the girl laughs, it is a good thing. It means that the boy at least has a chance. All
boys should try it...be it in a relationship or friendship, keep your girls happy."

"Flat owners would want to throw me out once I told them I was an aspiring actor."

"The more time I spend in Mumbai, the more I want to come here. Delhi has winter and Mumbai doesn't;
so we get to wear these cool clothes here. I miss the food, family interactions, and places to go. Delhi
has changed, but it still has that family charm to it."

"I make a conscious effort to stay low-profile. I don’t socialise much. That’s how being an outsider helps.
I hang out with friends where there’s no media. I like to keep it homely and simple with fewer pretenses.
That keeps you rooted."

"Once you become famous, girls become direct. Less lines but more action." 

"People believe I’m reserved. The impression also comes from my press interactions during my first
film. I used to be quiet. Making an impression on a talk show or probably going to the Bigg Boss house
was not important for me then. But I realise its importance now. I’ll work on it."

"When I was around 19, I was chosen by the modelling agency Elite. I agreed as I was in college and it
meant extra pocket money. You have petrol money to drive around and do your vella panti. When I
was around 21, I came to Mumbai for a film to be made by Anubhav Sinha and produced by Adlabs.
Then Ra.One happened and Anubhav took that and this was shelved. I opted out of it too. I was
pretty stuck. I went for modelling auditions to pay my rent. There were about 80 boys auditioning for
the same ad. It wasn’t the competition that scared me. It was the thought of doing something totally
different just to survive and waiting for that one phone call, which disturbed me. Then I was offered a
job as an assistant director for My Name Is Khan. This was the best decision as it was like going to an
acting school. I saw everything first hand."

"Acting is about using so many other senses – your voice, expressions… Modelling is all about the way
you look. It’s a superficial medium. Maybe it was destiny that I decided to become an assistant director."

"Casting couch is so passé. There is far more professionalism now. When I was a model with Elite
agency, they had so much transparency. There was no way I would have been propositioned. It’s the
same in films. We have heard of the stories obviously. Maybe it’s an old school notion. I don’t see a
producer today putting his money on you for just some sort of favour."

"I thought being an actor was just about being in front of the camera. We’re in an age when an actor
has no ‘personal’ life. But I still believe it should strictly be about what I do in front of the camera, the
rest shouldn’t really matter. That should keep me sane in my personal space while I could be any kind
of character in my professional life." 

"I never had much money before. I’ve just started earning money. So now I’m gonna acquire a bike.
It’s a Harley Davidson Fat Boy. Riding a bike with a helmet over your face gives freedom. It’s easy
being in the traffic and still not being recognised. I have been borrowing a friend’s bike and hence I
want to buy my own."

"For guys it is just about being healthy and fit because we have little to hide. It is important to look
a certain way. If you work out your skin is also taken care of. Smelling good is important. And once
you become an actor it’s important to get a pedicure done."

"I keep joking that in the (Bollywood) film most moments happen before crying, after crying or while
crying. (Laughs) There are no light moments in the film."

"When we were in college, I would lie about going to my friend’s place to study. His grandmom had
a small TV in her room, which we’d move to his room to watch matches."

"I don’t have my own house. It’s a struggle renting a house in Mumbai. I’d have meetings with flat
owners where they’d change their decision immediately, almost wanting to throw me once I told
them I was an aspiring actor. They would not believe me even if I showed them the money. I had
to show them my bank statements. They would judge me purely on the basis of my choice of career.
Today I feel happy and hopefully those owners have seen my work. (Laughs) Today, even if they
want to rent me their house, I won’t take it." 

"I don’t think I’ll be cool about it (nudity on screen). It’s about conviction. I cannot just do something
because the director has asked me to. I irritate my directors be it Vinyl (Mathew, HTP) or Mohit with
questions. I’d need a good enough reason to drop my pants; I don’t know if I’ll have the guts to. Is
the audience ready to see our butts? I don’t think so." 

"Oh it’s great to see excitement and stir when I enter a place. Eventually, we all become actors to get
recognised. But sometimes it becomes awkward. The sad part is I can’t do regular and simple things
like taking my dog out for a walk anymore. There are times when you get distracted by people. There
are times when you want the adulation and love and get disappointed when people don’t give it. It’s
a double-edged sword. And one has to accept that truth."

"I haven’t changed post stardom but my lifestyle has. I’m not complaining about the hassles of not
being able to move around freely. I’m not a party animal. I still prefer hanging out with my friends
from Delhi, sticking to an intimate circle rather than being at a social gathering. My thinking hasn’t
changed. It will be years before I change for the better or the worse."

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