I like everything about anushka: Imran

There are two ways to look at it. On one hand, everyone will put pressure on you. People will demand to know your opinion. It may not be correct but it will be carried widely. There's a certain responsibility that should come from the media too; whose opinion they ask and carry. Just because you're famous doesn't mean you're intelligent. It does not mean your opinion is correct. On the other hand, you are fortunate if you are in a position where people listen to you. If you are in such a position, you have a social responsibility to reach out. But I will not censor or restrict my movies. When it comes to my work, I will do whatever is called for. As Imran Khan, I will restrict what I do. I will not endorse alcohol or tobacco. If I feel strongly about something I will speak out about it and will try to lend myself to these causes. Again, the ultimate choice should be that of the editor of the newspaper, of the channel or the radio station if the person's opinion is worth putting in public. I will do my part; you guys have to do yours.

That's my opinion. Other people can endorse whatever brand they like. I don't feel right doing it so I won't do it.

My first thought when I read the script was, how on earth am I going to do this? How am I going to pull this off? Then you start thinking it's okay, as long as I can just mug up the dialogue it'll be fine. Then you suddenly realise that's not enough. There is a certain speech pattern you have to follow. Like people from Mumbai speak differently from people in Bangalore. They all speak English but differently. Then I realised there was a difference in body language too. Like how Matru would sit on a motorcycle. For Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, I Hate Luv Storys and Delhi Belly, I could use a lot of my real self. But when it came to being Matru I couldn't use any behavior of mine. Every gesture had to be imagined, taught and learnt. The workshops in Delhi helped me get into the character. I was there for three months. I joined an acting theatre and learnt a lot there. I spent six hours observing and learning. I'd never thought I'd do something like this.

That was only for a week. The language, the words, the pattern of speaking was completely alien. When I said my first line in the film, I couldn't get it out of my mind for days. I kept thinking how could I say this. It was so abusive.

Tremendously! My tendency is to be apologetic about myself… about my strengths, about my success, whatever it is. I'm told that the whole world says good things about me but that one person who says something bad, I give that person credibility. I don't give importance to the ones who appreciate me. But ideally both opinions should carry equal importance. I realised I should be more confident in life, about my work and myself. This film has made me confident.

It's a family thing. We don't praise ourselves and we don't praise each other. We are all the same.

I like everything about her. I find her an uncomplicated actor. On the first day we were to do an emotional scene together and were talking before the shot. At some point she got a little teary eyed. And then I saw the final performance. It was raw and impressive. I realised she had started crying for the scene. I even told Avantika that Anushka is a talented actress.

Surprisingly, that's not the case; no director has given me the freedom that Vishal has. Vishal demands a higher standard from you and it's up to you whether you deliver or not.

He dumps all the responsibility in your lap. He says, 'This is the character and this is what I want.' One day a scene was just not coming right. We tried a few takes but it still wasn't falling in place. So I asked him for some time to figure out how to do it. He came to me and said, 'Imran it's okay, I trust you.' He didn't sit me down and point out what I was doing wrong or what would fix it. All he told me was, 'I trust you to do something good. It's you as an actor who has to decide how far you will go and how much you have to do for the film and for your character.'

If you are on Twitter, you know what you are putting out there is for public consumption. People around the world are reading it. It's my responsibility not to do something stupid. If a photographer stands outside my house, I'm okay with it. I'm an actor, people know me and it comes with the profession. But if someone hides a camera in my bedroom, then I will get angry. That is when my personal space is being invaded.

When was the last time you entered a room and didn't have people looking at you? The point is it's a common phenomenon but it can be odd when someone stares at you. Fact is, it does affect you in some way. At any given moment, any room I am in, everyone is looking at me. Like if I enter a restaurant, I get to my table and that's when everyone starts noticing. What's he eating? How is he eating it? I have to be super conscious because everything I do is being watched. In the end you just have to handle it with grace.

I'm a realist. I'm the most practical and the most realistic person you will ever meet. This is life, complaining about it won't change anything. If there is something you can change, by all means do so. You have to be the change.

At some point I realised that criticism is a person's opinion. Be it good or bad, it's ultimately one guy's thought. So you shouldn't take it to heart. A critic's opinion is different from to the feedback the rest of the world will give you. Just because it's published in the newspapers does not mean that's what everyone thinks.