I've grown up in Mumbai, did college from Mumbai, many colleges, actually - Jai Hind, Ruia, Andrews, Wilson, Whistling Woods... Then I worked as a production assistant with Prahlad Kakar, and then I started acting.
I've produced a couple of films and really enjoyed starting it from the very beginning and seeing it all the way through to the end; that was very gratifying.
In the first place, it's surreal to watch filming, to see the little ideas you had in your head and now Taylor Kitsch is doing it, or Salma Hayek. And then to see it loud and bright onscreen is a trip.
I kind of romanticized what it was like to be a writer and director when I was in my early twenties. Working as a production assistant knocked that right out of me.
I'd grown up in a production company, but discovering the importance of the work, I realized I had something to bring here.
I will direct one day, but I have a feeling that it will be very limited.
I was truly honored to work with legendary DJ and producer DJ Premier. I still can't believe I have a track with Premier; it really is one of the best songs I've written in a long time.
For a producer, I've been behind the scenes my whole career.
I think a first-time director always has to convince a lot of people that they're ready to do it.
My first production job after M.I.A. was actually the xx, but they didn't like what I did, and at the end of the day, we used their demos.
With my years of promos & commercials, I actually have a massive amount of experience with regards to production. There pretty much isn't one thing I haven't tried at least once.
Since this was the first and only series I had ever produced, I was unaware of what the 'Normal' environment was for a studio. I tried to run it as I did in my SF studio.
The things that I've enjoyed most are not really science fiction. They are not much fun to make because there are so many toys involved. They are fun for directors who like toys, like Ridley Scott, but they are not a lot of fun to make. A lot of hanging around, changing this and that.
'Private Benjamin' was the first movie I produced, and I produced it for practical reasons.
I've directed seven movies and know a thing or two about dealing with unexpected crises.
I was going to go and do what I should do as a filmmaker and make slightly larger films each time, learn my craft, make mistakes and solve them.
I've never worked for a show or was on a show where I didn't have a lot of control creatively, but then again, I haven't worked on a lot of shows.
As a producer, I probably am a little stronger than most, since I was a director originally.
I was in fashion school, my brother has a law background, and my sister-in-law had worked in production, but none of us had a proper fashion business education.
I learned a lot from the various artists I produced. Either you see them doing something that you do want to do it, or you see them doing something the way you don't want to do it.
My story sort of sounds ridiculous because the first movie I produced was 'E.T.'
The great thing about having spent all this time on film sets is that I've been able to watch directors and how they work. I now know that this is what I want to do as well: to tell stories visually. But it's definitely my vision that I want to put across, nobody else's.
I love working with directors who have good taste. It's incredible when a director can say something and things open up for you. I went to The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and some of my best experiences on sets have been working with other alums.
The first time that I saw people actually make the thing that I wrote was my first episode of 'Six Feet Under.' It was called 'Back To The Garden.'
I've never produced a series, so for me [X-men] was a wonderful challenge.
