A biography for Rajkumar Hiranihasn’t been written yet.
“Writing is a lonely process.”
“At the end of the day, you don't remember 'Mother India' or 'Pyaasa' for the business it did, you remember them because they had a good story to tell.”
“The only time you do not get nervous is when you are making your first film. At that time, just the joy of making a movie is so high that you do not care; you are happy to have finally made it. It is only later that you want your film to be seen and appreciated by people.”
“When your first movie releases, in my case it was 'Munnabhai MBBS,' I was just relieved that it was out there. Just that sheer thought makes you happy.”
“Without its roots in reality, I don't think escapism can survive.”
“With fiction, you can do whatever you want to, but if you are making a film on someone, you have to stick to the truth. You cannot just say that I will change the climax because I do not like it.”
“In terms of films, I don't like to show pain. I'd like to show hope.”
“A lot of my writing and my detailing of scenes are based on my observations of life in Nagpur.”
“Every actor is great in his own right but certain actors suit certain roles.”
“You need to write about something that you really know about or you deeply connect with. Don't fake it.”
“Religion is man-made. Every religion says my 'God is the best.'”
“I've often been asked why my shot-taking is not stylish, why I don't think about visual statements. The truth is, style is irrelevant. I never think of the shot as much as I think of the characters and what they are saying and doing.”
“I can lock myself for months in the editing suite with no noise or distractions. It's fascinating to see the film taking shape.”
“A lot of medical problems are solved if doctors are nice to patients. If you can make them think positive, you may not need medication.”
“I try and get what I want using the strengths that the actors have.”
“Scale is very easy actually. Put a camera on a jib or a drone and get bloody big shots on big sets, it's very easy. But then you're distracted. If you're looking at the shot, you aren't following the story any more.”
“There is no good or bad cinema, there are films that connect either less or more with audience.”
“I edit as I write and shoot. Any extra line, any pause that I know will get chopped on the editing table is done away with then and there.”
“The more you succeed, the more you want people to love your efforts.”
“That's a battle we are always fighting whenever we cut trailers or promos for films. We always wonder how much to say, and every filmmaker wants to say the minimum. You don't want to reveal your film and ruin the viewing experience.”