We have three generations at home, including my father-in-law. I keep a very low profile, and a lot of things I do are very much with the family in mind. I have actually made films with the family around me.

It took me three years to learn to dress in the American way, especially in winter. That was just like me. I barely wear socks even now.

Never treat anything you do as a stepping stone. Do it fully, and follow it completely.

I've loved 'Vanity Fair' since I was 16 years old. You know, we're all colonial hangovers in India, steeped in English literature. It is one of these novels that I read under the covers at my convent boarding school in Simla.

Every frame and every scene has to have an intention.

Every film is a political act; it's how you see the world.

I grew up in a very small town which is remote even by Indian standards. I always dreamed of the world.