R. Madhavan Quotes

I can't imagine directing from someone else's script.

The first and primary requirement for me in a director that I'd want to work with is: do they love writing, and do they love the collaboration process with writers?

As a director, you have to go in with a really, really, really clear picture of what you want.

For me, the film-maker is more important than the story.

I would like to do all kind of movies, but it all depends on the producer. The director, the actor, and the producer must like it, and they must be clear about it.

It's usually the exact same three things which are, the Scripts, the Director and the Role those are the three things I look for and really any two of them, If I get two of them that's usually enough, but definitely those are the things I look for.

One longs for a director with a sense of imagination.

I do like directing other people's material.

If there's a good screenplay, there's a chance that something good is going to happen. If you don't have a brilliant screenplay, then you either have amazing actors who give you the chance to improve whatever is on the page, or an interesting director who has enough faith in the project that they can carry it through and get it somewhere.

What has always been at the heart of film making was the value of a script. It was really the writer who could make or break a film. But as we all know, the writer has always been at the bottom of the creative heap.

I definitely managed to do different kinds of things. My focus is usually who the director is, because at the end of the day the director is the storyteller, what the movie is all about. I don't want to participate in something that I don't think is constructive storytelling.

I would always rather do a mediocre script with a great filmmaker than a great script with a mediocre filmmaker.

I'm not really a director for hire. You read these scripts and go, 'This is a really great script, but Paul Greengrass would make this so much better than me.' I usually say, 'I know who would be good for this. It's not me.'

I remember when I first met Jason Reitman with the 'Whiplash' script; he quickly became a mentor figure who guided me through the process and also protected me and made sure that when it came time to actually make 'Whiplash,' I was able to make exactly the movie I wanted to make.

I had written a script called 'Freed,' which I had wanted to direct.

The idea of being a show runner was very attractive to me, to create and control something.

There are so many elements that make a good film. You need a great director who's driving it.

I believe that the director is really the soul. It is a collaborative effort, but the director is the one who needs to have that vision. It could be a great script, but it starts from there. You need to have good material, at least, but if you don't have someone with vision, it's just words.

I don't believe in development. I believe in pre-pre-production, so when I sit down with an idea for a movie, I'm thinking I'm going to make this film. I don't think about anything else.

Part of what I love about producing is to get to work with writers.

Directors are our teachers, and I'm always craving to work with a great director. They're pretty much the first thing that interests me about a project. Let's put it this way: It'll take me a lot longer to read a script if there's no director attached.

You always have to figure out what the director is good at before you work with them; then you can fill in if need be.

For me, the director is the most important thing. He is steering the boat. If you don't trust him, you won't be able to give him your all.

It's good to work with a writer-director.

I have the soul of a director.