Quotes from Amala Akkineni

Many times people tried to convince me about Ahimsa silk, but when I followed the chain of production it always ended with genetically modified silk moths that could not fly. There was nothing Ahimsa about it.

I never imagined I would wear a silk sari as I practice Ahimsa.

There's innocence in a young mind, say 18 or 21, writing a script. But we have to acknowledge that they have to open up to life's experiences to be able to add those layers of depth into the script.

You have to be innovative and creative to make yourself employable.

I am half Bengali and half Irish by birth.

It helps to have a fit body if you are meditating. Yoga conditions the body so that the mind can meditate.

I had been acting from a very young age and also performing with a dance troupe, the Kalakshetra Dance Troupe, from city to city. I needed a break. After marriage I took time off. That break lasted 24 years!

I juggle so many hats that it takes something really special to convince me to get back to acting in films or TV serials.

From Blue Cross we reach out to about 14,000 school kids every year. No matter where I go, be it a police station or a corporate office, I have some youngsters coming up to me to saying, 'madam we heard you in school.' It feels great and that's something I really enjoy doing.

There's is a fine line between living one's truth and looking good.

Hyderabad used to be this sweet laid back town, everything was accepted. Coming from Chennai I thought it was a town.

I love pushing myself and I think being in a comfort zone perennially can restrict your growth.

Yes, I am a Bengali but I am sorry I can't converse in Bengali.

What I find most deplorable is cruelty of spirit - racism, casteism, and religious or social prejudice.

In Mumbai and Chennai there is method in the madness. Despite its large crowds there is a 'live and let live' spirit and a connection with good.

There has to be a mutual respect and trust for any marriage to work.

Most parents feel traditional professional courses will give their children a stable future.

I have never looked back on what I have done. Instead I am looking for new things to do.

I do not make resolutions for New Year, but visualise and plan things.

Only a niche section of parents allow their children to take up courses on film and television.

Each creature both great and small has evolved after millions of years of evolution serving an integrated and important part in the ecological balance of our Earth. Upset the balance and the consequences are disastrous.

I don't think I am as useful as a bat is to the society.

When you start off as a dancer, you don't become one overnight; you must train for more than a decade.

We live in a country with a vast majority of people below the poverty line. Our natural resources are limited and getting scarcer.