Selective Participation Quotes

I don't want to be a part of something I don't want to watch.

I was an old tackle riding around talking to people about sports. Like I've said to a lot of people over the years, 'I only go where old tackles go, and if an old tackle does not belong there, I'm not going.'

When you're dealing with boycotts, you don't need everyone. You just need enough to be effective.

One big power of an actor is knowing when to say no to something. It can be very tempting to say yes to something, because you're flattered that somebody would like to work with you, and your ego sort of takes over, but it's important to ask whether there could be something you could add to a project by being part of it.

It's not that I don't get on bandwagons; I just climb aboard only after most of the band has packed up and left for the next gig.

I don’t attend rallies and I don’t participate in presidential elections. In fact, I don’t participate in any election. I don’t participate in the governor’s race, I don’t participate in the mayor’s race. I participate in one election every two years. Then I’m strong for Hebert. That is the only election I take part in.

I like being known for being good at maths and having a brain. If I've been asked to do something but it's not relevant to me, I don't do it. I'd feel a bit of an idiot just turning up in a dress.

I would only take a role that I know I'm comfortable in and I can do. I've turned down plenty of things because I'd feel it's not me, and I wouldn't want to come on someone's project and flip that.

You can't boycott something you never went to anyway,so why put energy into it?

I do not want to be a part of Hindi cinema's rat race. But yes, if I get offers and characters which I feel would suit me as well as make some difference to me, I will do a Hindi film.

I had got a couple of offers for appearances in films, but I didn't want to be a part of any film just for the sake of it.

A ballot is like a bullet. You don't throw your ballots until you see a target, and if that target is not within your reach, keep your ballot in your pocket.

Out of sheer respect for the people I look up to in the industry, I do say 'yes' to projects at times. It helps me learn a lot. Also, if I am playing a small role in a good, content-driven film, I say yes to it. But there have been times when I said 'no' to films because I was not convinced with the content.

Earlier, I used to take up any role that came my way. But now I feel that I should take time and consider the role before taking it up.

I actually have to pick and chose stuff that I know I'm going to bomb at.

I will only do a Hollywood film when there is something special offered to me.

When I won the Oscar, I fell into that mind-set that this is a precious role. People everywhere were shouting, 'Show me the money!' I just didn't want anything that could parody the fact that I was like a tagline in a movie. So when Steven Spielberg offered me 'Amistad,' I said no; when 'Hotel Rwanda' came along, I said no.

I refuse some movies. I cannot always give reasons why I refuse. Sometimes, I refuse just because I feel like refusing! I always look at my role, and never bother about who the hero will be when choosing a movie.

I'll sing for my films only when I want to.

I'm not as eager to go just work to work. I have another life outside of it, and if I'm pretty sure the movie's not going to have a life, or if it's not a director I believe in, then I probably will say no.

I do get offered a lot more roles than I choose to do. I'm very busy as a producer and a writer, especially with my Internet stuff, and I tend to only accept the roles that I know will have an impact and has a fanbase.

I don't want to do a cameo just for the heck of it.

I'm not really the type to jump into a $20 million film just to do it.

I like it when things come to me; I choose a movie if I know I need to be a part of it.

Hollywood is difficult to navigate if you have integrity, so I opted not to work if there wasn't enough to do in a role, which doesn't have to do with the role's size.