Leander Paes

“My audiences have given me lots of love as a tennis player. I hope they appreciate my passion for acting.”

“I believe India has multi-talented people, so I have also embarked on my journey as an actor. I don't need to be a celebrity, since tennis has already given fame to me.”

“If I have a reason to do something, and I have enough passion, I generally succeed.”

“I love taking challenges, as my name Leander means 'lion's heart.'”

“When the headache persisted, I checked myself into an emergency room. When the doctor used the term 'brain tumour', I feared the worst. My whole world shrank around me.”

“Age is just a number. When I started, I never worried about how long I was going to play. I had very specific goals, and that's what I really chased.”

“Director of any film is very important, and an actor has to leave himself in his hands to mould.”

“I know, in India, specially in Bollywood and the sports fraternity, there is a lot of negative media attention on prominent public figures.”

“I've always had this hyper kinetic energy, so I don't really need much sleep at night.”

“I wanted to emulate my parents - Mum captained India in basketball, and Dad won a bronze in hockey in 1972 Olympics. My focus has always been to achieve excellence whether in the field of tennis, in the corporate field, in the art of acting or in motivating youngsters.”