Arvind Swami

“I may not write poetry in Telugu but I need to get the nuances right.”

“I have nurtured my kids by myself. I am happy that I invested those 10 years in bringing up my kids.”

“When we watch 'Scarface' or 'The Godfather', we look at the characters for what they are and the story through them.”

“I was very young when I made my debut, I was almost like a kid getting that kind of success and adulation which was difficult to cope.”

“I have always tried to experiment with roles.”

“At 29, I quit films. A lot of things happened. I had personal issues, injured my spine, and felt paralysed for a while. I never thought of coming back. Personally, it was traumatic. I just took life as it came and dealt with it in a positive manner.”

“I had no intention of being an actor in the first place. But it all started when I was 20, and by the time I was 28, it was stifling me.”

“When I joined films, I was clueless about the industry and had no aspirations to be an actor.”

“I was born and raised up in a small farm.”

“I have plans of becoming a director soon. I just finished my script. I don't know when I'll direct the film. It is ready and has reached its third draft.”

“I know I'm not a good actor; I just don't have that natural ability to perform when someone narrates a scene. What I lack in talent I make up with my brain.”

“While dealing with kids, it's very important to talk to them about what they would like to do.”

“For me, most things are mental. You do better if you analyse and address the issue mentally.”

“Stardom doesn't appeal to me in anyway. Of course, I want people to like my work, but in my mind I've consciously created a line where I don't think of myself as a big star.”

“I have a learning disability when it comes to languages, I envy actors like Prakash Raj and my kids who do it with such ease.”

“I don't expect people to know my name. I don't get offended if people don't know me.”

“I'm in this profession because of Mani Ratnam. He was the one who brought me here. He taught me everything. And he inspired me to make a comeback.”

“I can't watch formulaic films and hence, won't write or make one such film.”

“From 'Thani Oruvan', I've decided that I will work only in films where people accept me as a team member. I can't think of ideas that I feel will improve the film and just keep them to myself.”

“By nature, I am very curious. I don't think it's fair for anybody to keep your ideas bottled up out of fear. I take a lot of inputs from others. Whether I use them or not is a different issue.”