Varun Tej Quotes

In my career, I've never been a box office name. Granted, a couple of my movies have made a lot of money, but I'd do other movies which make very little money, or they're not seen that much.

In the beginning, it wasn't even a question of deciding I'm going to do independent film and not commercial films - I wasn't being offered any commercial films, and there wasn't an independent scene.

I am not saying that I won't do big commercial films.

If I had done 'Titanic,' it would have made, probably, $200,000 - worldwide. So I think my life would have been very, very similar.

You have to be in movies that make money to be offered work. Basically that's the equation. There's no real way around that. That said, you don't ever make decisions solely for that reason.

I've been offered a few movies lately, but I don't want to do a movie just for the sake of saying, 'Oh, boy! There's popcorn involved in this.'

Bollywood is an industry that is closer to making more entertainment-based films than anything else because people here are bothered about money.

Bollywood was never really the aim, actually. I mean, sure, you could argue that I could have done more films there; for sure, I could have.

If I was a young man, I might have bypassed the whole comedian-actor thing and just been a filmmaker. Then I'd probably have spent my whole life going, 'I wonder if I could have been a comedian.'

When I started out, at 19, I was told, by the media and the film industry to do a certain kind of films and work with certain kind of stars. Coming from a non-filmi background, I did not know how to go about it, as there were different people trying to push me in various directions.

A young poet in America should not be advised at the outset to give up all for the Muse-to seclude himself in the country, to live hand from mouth in Greenwich Village or to escape to the Riviera. I should not advise him even to become a magazine editor or work in a publisher's office. The poet would do better to study a profession, to become a banker or a public official or even to go in for the movies.

I don't know if I ever entertained an academic career, nor did I ever think I'd become a feature film-maker in the market.

There are a lot of options when it comes between music and acting. For me, because I'm so passionate about my music career, you have to be extremely passionate when you have opportunities like films and real money actually coming to you compared to with music.

When I got out of school, I didn't really understand the differences in the different aspects of the business. For example, doing a play - where does that take you versus, you know, concentrating on independent films? You might have one thing in your head, but the things you're doing don't really lead down the right road, necessarily.

Most people who've had a big hit movie like 'Paranormal Activity,' the next thing they say is, 'I want to make a $100 million movie.' I have no interest in making more expensive movies.

If you're early on in your career and they give you a choice between a great mentor or higher pay, take the mentor every time. It's not even close. And don't even think about leaving that mentor until your learning curve peaks.

My dad was a builder, so I didn't have any connection to the arts at all. I never really considered film as a career, but I knew I didn't want to be a builder.

I could be earning a lot of money as a consultant, or gone higher in education.

Everyone wants to do only those films which they find interesting. That is the way the industry works.

We always hope we can make a movie that will beat America.

Though I have been acclaimed for 'Newton,' but my personally favourite is 'Gurgaon.'

I was told by many well-wishers not to do the film because my role was just a cameo. But it's very important to be part of big, successful films like 'Holiday.'

I would like to balance my career, do meaningful cinema and also do fluff films.

I am not against doing commercial cinema at all.

There's a lot to be said for women who want to focus primarily on acting. Other women, on the other hand, aspire to combine their work in acting with other ventures in fashion, business, directing, writing, producing, etc. It's a very personal decision.