Quotes from Zoya Akhtar

But if you can empathise with a character and if you can emotionally resonate with that character and understand their emotional journey, I think you are home.

I definitely want a partner and would like to spend the rest of my life with somebody, but I don't care if am married or not.

I had an experience which I could not explain to myself and to others while I was on my way back from a south Mumbai party. It was near Haji Ali. All six of us who were travelling went through this. And this experience which I went through became the vital ingredient of the story of 'Talaash'.

You realize you have to become aware of your inner monologue. The things you say to yourself. This raised my consciousness so it was vital to my growth, I would say.

I am always pleasantly surprised by the criticism because I learn from it and sometimes shocked by it.

I don't know what will come my way but I will continue to tell stories that excite me. I feel human beings are same everywhere, they work from a gamut of emotions the rest is just backdrop.

I don't really know a normal family. In fact, I don't know a perfect person. So, how can a family be perfect and frankly if there are any, they will be very boring like I won't want them over for dinner.

Films were always a passion for me but it was when I saw 'Salaam Bombay' that I decided that it was film direction that I was interested in. That is when I decided I wanted to direct films.

My biggest challenge was when I had my first panic attack at 27. It's not something you can ignore, you can't sit around and get sucked into a rabbit hole.

I have a phobia. I have a serious phobia of rodents. I don't even like white mice, hamsters.

Writing is my main interest; it is where my heart is. I always want to continue writing. Apart from that, I enjoy casting and hopefully want to direct too.

I'm obsessed with people, I'm obsessed with human behavior. I just watch people.

I've grown up in the film industry and I've been watching them, analyzing them, laughing at them, totally understanding them and getting their point of view, and, at times, taking up for them. So I'm part of it and it's part of me.

As film makers or any artiste that put work out there, what you are doing on your level is that you are putting consciousness out into the world.

Well, everyone in my family is a writer. There is a big contribution on the script level by everyone.

The biggest piece is my family... From watching films like The Godfather on our dining room wall, to having a great relationship with my sibling. Or going on weekend trips with our cousins to the beach and eating all day... it's been a crazy childhood; a 'bohemian one'.

My evenings are usually spent eating cake with tea, which I should stop. Then I either hang with friends or watch something. I like my evenings free because that is when I get to spend time with myself, my dogs or with friends.

Most good actors you work with, they actually bring something to the creative process and to the script. They help shape the character with you. Whereas, some actors are so worried about their image and not about the character, it doesn't help the story.

Some of my characters are drawn from people I know whereas others are an amalgamation of people or one specific person. Sometimes a character is simply fictional. It is always a mix.

We were allowed to make mistakes. I mean that is a real privilege, to be able to go your own way, find your voice, just have a support system that allows you to do all that.

I feel blessed and lucky with my family, not because of the privilege, of course, I'm grateful for that as well that we never wanted anything.

I was an executive producer. I've done a lot of jobs and I think each one helps you get closer to what you want as a director. It also helps you - when you work with different filmmakers - to absorb, to adapt, to know what to watch out for, to know pitfalls.

I think actors get paid a lot and technicians don't get paid enough and I think that it should change because a good film, which is like a complete package, needs every single member of that team. I think we need to pay them more.

As a filmmaker when you show your film to anybody, you want it to be liked. You want the reviews to be positive. After watching your film, you want people to feel good.