Aparna Sen

“I let the images crowd my mind before I start writing a script.”

“When I make a film about a woman, it is possible that my feminist politics surfaces somewhere but it is not with the intention of propagating feminism.”

“Male filmmakers only need to tap their female selves in order to develop their female gaze as many great filmmakers have done. But why is it important to do so? Because the world has been run by aggressive males and landed itself in a fine mess.”

“The fact of the matter is that all true artistes are androgynous by nature, the yin and yang perfectly balanced.”

“English is the medium of communication for people all over India.”

“All human beings are lonely at the core. We come alone, we go alone.”

“I had a turtle that I called Kalidas.”

“It's so important for me to keep a good house. I take a lot of pleasure in cooking and I think there is a lot in common between cooking and film-making. You put all these ingredients together to make something wholesome. Except the rewards in cooking come a little sooner.”

“It is the responsibility of a director to introduce their politics in their films, and whether you like it or not your politics will be reflected unless you are an opportunist which some directors are.”

“I certainly am a feminist but, in my cinema, I don't talk about any 'isms'. I deal only with individuals; even if an 'ism' surfaces, it is not underlined.”

“With the kind of money Bollywood directors have, they can at least add drama, gloss and glamour to their films, even if the stories are uninspiring and run-of-the-mill.”

“My self-confidence doesn't come from my looks.”

“Every single person is political. I am a Left-liberal and my politics is issue-based.”

“As it happens, I live in Kolkata; my husband Kalyan lives in New Jersey in USA; our elder daughter lives in Cincinnati - also in USA; my younger daughter lives in Mumbai; my sisters live in Delhi.”

“Of course, I write. I have stories to tell. But I don't want to do superficial stuff any more.”

“Someone should tell the fundamentalists that even Advaita philosophy in Hinduism talks of oneness in all existence.”

“It's difficult to do a love scene in Indian cinema. The censors are sitting on top of your head.”

“Unless we citizens speak out, unless we are vigilant, democracy cannot fully function.”

“Sufism states that deep within, everyone is the same.”

“Without the huge budgets, mainstream Bengali cinema falls flat on its face.”