We all know the power of film; we all know there's almost nothing more powerful than to see people on film that look and talk like you, like we do.

What is really important to me is a sense of humour and a mischief about life. Life is just too boring otherwise.

My family is almost exactly like the one in 'Monsoon Wedding'. We are very open, fairly liberal, loud people.

It gave me a lot of pleasure and pride that 90 percent of the crew for 'Monsoon Wedding,' and most of my film, are women. We get the work done, you know, much lesser play of ego... And I really believe in harmony, I believe in working in a spirit of egolessness and that the film is bigger than all of us.

It's only at this age that I can say the word 'art' without flinching.

'Salaam Bombay' didn't put a halo on the poor. Instead, it said that they will teach us how to live.

Americans are not used to being bombed in their beds, but if you come from anywhere outside America, it's not highly unusual.