Film Directors From India

"Scaring the children: for Halloween last night, I dressed as a Democrat and when kids came to my door, I took half of their candy!"

"The American idea of wealth creation is being embraced in India, in China, all over the world. It's lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. So ironically this American formula that we are moving away from at home under Obama is being enthusiastically embraced all around the world."

"The American Indians sold Manhattan to the Dutch for $700 in today's money. My point is, that's what Manhattan was worth then. It was useless, it was just a piece of land, like any other piece of land which you can buy today for $700 in many places in the world. Manhattan today is the result of the people who built it, not the original inhabitants who occupied or sold it."

"Our President is trapped in his father's time machine. Incredibly, the U.S. is being ruled according to the dreams of a Luo tribesman of the 1950s. This philandering, inebriated African socialist, who raged against the world for denying him the realization of his anticolonial ambitions, is now setting the nation's agenda through the reincarnation of his dreams in his son. The son makes it happen, but he candidly admits he is only living out his father's dream. The invisible father provides the inspiration, and the son dutifully gets the job done. America today is governed by a ghost."

"Colonial possessions added to the prestige, and to a much lesser degree to the wealth, of Europe. But the primary cause of Western affluence and power is internal – the institutions of science, democracy, and capitalism acting in concert."

"The ideas that define Western civilization, Nietzsche said, are based on Christianity. Because some of these ideas seem to have taken on a life of their own, we might have the illusion that we can abandon Christianity while retaining them. This illusion, Nietzsche warns us, is just that. Remove Christianity and the ideas fall too."

"If the televangelists are guilty of producing some simple-minded, self-righteous Christians, then the atheist authors are guilty of producing self-congratulatory buffoons like Condell."

"Consistent with Martin Luther King's vision, the government should stop color-coding its citizens."

"I've been studying radical Islamic thought—specifically, the thinkers who have influenced contemporary radical Muslims. When you read their work, you find that there are no denunciations of modernity, no condemnations of science, no condemnations of freedom. In fact, their whole argument seems to be that the United States—through our support of secular dictators in the region—is denying Muslims freedom and control over their own destiny."

"The crimes of atheism have generally been perpetrated through a hubristic ideology that sees man, not God, as the creator of values. Using the latest techniques of science and technology, man seeks to displace God and create a secular utopia here on earth."

"Atheism, not religion, is the real force behind the mass murders of history."

"Virtue has great power, but not if it is imposed – only when it is chosen."

"Those who are susceptible to depravity do not need cinema or theatre to mislead them. There are numerous other factors which lead to immorality."

"Son, I don't have money even to buy poison.Please help –"

"I have to keep making films in my country so that it gets established as an industry at home."

"While the film Life of Christ was rolling past before my eyes I was mentally visualizing the gods, Shri Krishna, Shri Ramachandra their Gokul and Ayodhya.. I was gripped by a strange spell. I bought another ticket and saw the film again. This time I felt my imagination taking shape in the screen.Could this really happen? Could we the sons of India, ever be able to see Indian images on the screen. The whole night passed in this mental agony."

"During this period I was constantly preoccupied with the analysis of every film, which I saw, and in considering whether I could make them here. There was no doubt whatsoever about the utility of the profession and its importance as an industry...this was the period of the Swadeshi movement and there was profuse talking and lecturing on the subject. For me personally, this led to the resignation of my comfortable government job and taking to an independent profession. I took this opportunity to explain my ideas to my friends and leaders of the Swadeshi movement. Even people who were familiar with me for 15 years found my ideas impracticable."

"Yes, there is a stamp in his honour, some roads, and Mumbai's film city is dedicated to him. There are statues in Mumbai and Nashik, besides the annual top film honour and other token international recognition. However, we think both Dadasaheb and Saraswati deserve a Bharat Ratna and we must be invited to witness the presentation. The centenary year of Indian cinema is the most appropriate occasion."

"He brought the first movie camera from Germany, but nobody knows what happened to it afterwards. Maybe it is lying with some antique collector. There were absolutely no film-making facilities - production or distribution - available as people believed films had no future. But, whatever he did from scratch set a precedent for the future generations of film-makers."

"The inspiration for the film came from Dadasaheb Phalke. His adventure of film making is the basis of the film, says Paresh Mokashi, director and writer of the film. Harishchandrachi Factory — which faced competition from 15 films including New York and Delhi 6 — captures the first two years of Phalke's cinematic career. The two-hour-long film starts with Phalke giving up his printing business after a fight with his partner. Soon, he accidentally comes across a tent theatre, screening a silent film. An awestruck Phalke decided to make a film and was encouraged by his wife and two enthusiastic children. The Oscar-nominated film ends with Phalke delivering Indian film industry's first hit using his advertising acumen."

"He produced, directed, processed and did everything to make the first Indian feature film Raja Harishchandra. Unlike most film makers of those days, Phalke did not have the westernized audience in mind. His vision was to use the medium to narrate an Indian story to the audience."

"As Gandhi refashioned the world of protest, another man was reinventing story telling. In 1913, Dhund Raj Govind Phalke or Dadasaheb Phalke as he came to be later known as, made the first full length feature film Raja Harsihchandra. Within seven years there was a regular film industry functioning in the country with Bombay as its main player."

"It dates back to a day in 1987 when Punjab was burning. I read about a spastic girl and her parents being killed in Amritsar. It disturbed me and I decided to march to Amritsar from Mumbai on foot. It was part of Gandhian philosophy that if your people are doing wrong you punish yourself. Gandhiji would fast; likewise, I decided to walk and inflict some pain on myself. It was a way of sharing the pain."

"His life reads like a film script; his commitment to social issues superseded his loyalty to the Congress"

"From impoverished Partition refugee to popular film star to Member of Parliament to a Minister in the Union Cabinet — the story of Sunil Dutt's life reads like a film script."

"A very special human being...He had friends and admirers not just in India but also across the world who will now miss him."

"After extended-and successful-battles against w:cancer:cancer, drugs and anti-terrorism laws, all of which touched his family, Sunil Dutt has opened on another front. This time the fight is also personal. The National Census for 2001 ignores the disabled on grounds that such a surveyis beyond the scope and capacity of its operations. But this man in a wheel-chair, refuses to let the matter lie. Sunil Dutt, MP, Mumbai northwest, partially paralyzed by a spinal disorder, is spearheading the movement against the ongoing census.In a letter to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Dutt has demanded that the census should also take into account the disabled of the country. “Are they not people?”, he asks as he tries to rise to his feet."

"His passing away is not only a great loss to the sports fraternity but that to the nation as avery popular man of art and culture and a great national political leader."

"It was his support and encouragement that had helped me to go abroad for training. He was great supporter of sports in general and his passing away is a big loss."

"Every shooter winning a medal at the CommonWealth event received a personal fax from Mr. Sunil Dutt, Iy made us feel special."

"He was a man who was prepared to discuss topics for the improvement of sports in the country."

"He was true soldier without a gun. Although life had played many tricks with him, he always overcame them."

"Mr Dutt was a man who worked for world peace."

"I have heard about Christ, but I am very happy that I am walking with Christ [Sunil Dutt]."

"In my career I met so many movie stars, but starting a life together and building a home goes beyond all other relationships," he explains. "I found in her a human being and a woman who would take care of my family. I found in my wife both compassion and understanding."

"I never knew there was a romance. The only thing I knew was that she came into my life. I was not concerned about her past. I know these questions arise. But I am concerned about the person who comes in my life; what matters from that day on is how true the person is to me. The past is nothing to me."

"My concept of secularism is to be a good human being who respects all religions."

"One of my first tasks is to instill discipline into the organisation. We do not need slogan shouting. Too many 'leaders' do nothing but sit on podiums or get themselves photographed with other leaders. This must stop. The Youth Congress leaders must go back to the roots and serve the people. I want to bring back value-based politics to the youth wing."

"Rejuvenate the Youth Congress. Make it more effective. People-oriented. I will supervise how the Youth Congress is performing and suggest ways and means to improve the way it works. It has to have a positive, dynamic image."

"I have been a lifelong Congressman because I believe in the party's philosophy."

"If there is no friendship with one's neighbours, no one can progress. Look at Canada and the USA -- both countries help each other."

"I wish it culminates in something positive and we can both grow economically. The money we spend on weapons can be used to give water to the people, to educate everybody, to give them medical aid and to give employment to the youth of the country."

"Somehow, this hatred should come to an end. I am a believer of nonviolence. I believe we all are one, whichever religion we belong to."

"During Partition, my entire family was saved by a Muslim. His name was Yakub -- a friend of my father's who lived a mile-and-a-half away from our village."

"There should be no statues or a street named after me, no postal stamp with my face or any a organization after me. I like people to remember me by following my work"

"He is making money but I am earning love. His money will get spent, but the respect and love that I get will remain for him when I leave. I only hope he keeps it up.Somewhere he will take care of my respect and love."

"It has been more than three decades but Hema Malini’s passion for dance has not diminished. Starting in the early 70s with solo Bhratanatyam performances, the diva has reinvented herself at every stage of her career. When she felt that the pure classical dance form would not be appreciated by a less aware audience, she expanded her art form to include ballets."

"One day she will be the biggest star of the Indian screen."

"I made a serial called Nupur in which I danced for one particular shloka of Soundarya Lahari . The show was mostly about dance. It is then that I started learning to chant Soundarya Lahari . …People only know me as an actor and a dancer but recently I thought about doing this album."

"So many roles, so many trends, so many kinds of cinema and so many stories…I have projected different images during different decades, voiced different concerns –sometimes as a daughter, sometimes as a wife and mother- but often I ask myself if things have really changed. I am not sure."