Models From India

"The professional food world is dominated by men. But most of the actual cooking of food in the world is done by women. And we women have always had to make do with whatever we can. We’re a little bit like water—we find our way because we’ve had to."

"You know how you’re completely different with your mom than you are with your best friend, than you are with your romantic partner, than you are with your boss? They’re just different facets of me."

"I wanted to do a show to give people whom I have grown up with, whether they were Filipino, Mexican or whatever, the platform to speak for themselves."

"I would love to write more children’s books. I think children can understand complex things so long as you explain them in words they can wrap themselves around."

"Rejection is a part of my job. It has been a part of my career as a food person and a filmmaker. It was certainly part of my job as an actor, and even more part of a job as a model. So, it is something that I have to accept. It’s not for the faint of heart."

"The best way to improve matters in your own actions is to first understand and accept the reasons for systemic prejudice and how that discrimination manifests in people’s lives over generations. Then you have to accept the ways in which some groups — perhaps your own — have benefited from this societal favoritism. And then you have to open your mouth and be an active member of your community to vote out elected officials who are part of the problem."

"New York City was my first introduction to America. It was a beautiful welcome because in the streets I saw people of all colors, wearing different outfits, clearly from different parts of the world. While I was still feeling like a foreigner, an immigrant, an outsider, there were so many people I could point to even as a young child who looked completely different, too."

"And the truth is, models are freaks of nature. We are not normal people, and we're just born this way because of a genetic cocktail that our parents gave to us. You know, most of us have a really high metabolism."

"Just by the very fact that my mother divorced my father — it was so taboo to have a divorce in India and you were ostracized — I saw her break barriers within her own life."

"Growing older gracefully means having a keen curiosity about learning things about the world that you didn’t know yesterday, no matter how many yesterdays you've had."

"The world is getting bigger and smaller at the same time. The possibilities and opportunities to taste different kinds of foods are much more prevalent today than even 10 or 15 years ago. At the same time, because people are traveling, in spite of certain parts of the world that are dangerous, you do get to try more things. With the Internet and Instagram, you get to know about all these funky dishes."

"If Tom Cruise can do an action sequence in his 60's, I can do a song like "Kaavaalaa" even when I am 60 too."

"In some films, you don’t just need to hog center stage. I mean, I’ve done a lot of ensemble work in my career. Strangely enough, my first big success was an ensemble again, Baahubali happened to be one. I’m very secure as an actor. I know my skill and the impact I have on screen. I’ll get five scenes. I will do it to such perfection that people will remember me."

"Being an actor is in your hand. But to be a star, you need people to love you.That happens to very few people and I feel really fortunate."

"Every safety measure has been taken, and I know I’m in good hands. The important thing for an actor or performer is to get constant visibility; now with films being stalled, this is the perfect opportunity for us to impress audiences every day. After the show, I will make my Bollywood debut, and down south, I really hope I get a chance to work with Vijay Sethupathi sir."

"I haven’t been able to sleep before entering the house; I’m that thrilled to share the same stage as him. It’s an absolute dream come true."

"I feel, but actually I feel very validated from that film. The reason being, that film actually got me into the minds of really young kids because a lot of really young kids watch Baahubali. They still think I’m the butterfly girl, and there are so many things about that film."

"As an actor, I understand what it takes to have an extremely long career and that requires a very different kind of skill set. It's not about just being relevant. It's about being memorable."

"I have made my fair share of mistakes. In the beginning when you are trying to find your way, you end up doing stereotypical and cliche roles, I have done all of that. I am at a stage in regional cinema where I am looking to do roles that test and push me to my limit. In Hindi films, I don't have the energy to do the same thing again and get back to the point to where I want to do work that I want to do. In regional films, I am in a position to pick out-of-the-box roles but if I do Hindi films I won't get that opportunity."

"It’s an eight-year-long friendship. I married my best friend (Naga Chaitanya). I know I am Akkineni Samantha from now onwards and I have to live up to the family’s legacy and reputation."

"It was a great chance to show viewers who I really am. I’m a really bubbly, talkative person who loves to make fun of others and keep everyone laughing. I want the audiences to keep looking out for “that attractive girl” who takes on all the tasks and keeps entertaining them."

"Glamour in a woman is to be celebrated, and we women must celebrate ourselves. Then we can expect other people to celebrate us. But if we look at ourselves in a certain way then nobody can respect us."

"Realising just how hard it is to get a meaningful role for a heroine in the south. I haven’t signed as many films as I’d like to because there are no good roles. As disheartening as it is to say."

"You all know about the leaks controversy on social media. My character is very close to every girl in that video. It also gives a message to every person who circulated, opened, saw and laughed at those videos. I have acted in many films in full length roles. Though I have a short role in this film (Raju Gari Gadhi 2), the impact is high. It’s going to be one of the best ones."

"I am done with the clichéd heroine roles. I can’t go to work without a challenge. I want to do films that drive me, films in which I am a part of the main plot. There are times when I’ve watched the final outcome of a film and wondered what was going on. I get tired of coming up with the same expressions. When I have to be sad, I tell myself ‘okay, time to use expression number 5’."

"I’ve never really planned anything in my career, and just taken the chances as they came my way. I like to think of myself as destiny’s child! I’m sure people down south also check out the Hindi version."

"If I have to use an adjective to define myself, then I might use ‘cute’ but I don’t think I’m sexy. If people think that I’m sexy, then I’m happy."

"I think women should know how to be cultured and traditional, yet independent. That balance is important. Every woman should have the strength to speak for herself."

"I don’t think any heroine’s marital status matters. On TV, it’s all about the character. We have so many married actresses playing lead roles on TV shows. We are probably more married on TV than in real life."

"Besides the long working hours, it can get monotonous meeting the same people and saying the samelines."

"A golden opportunity to show the world your talent. Fame, appreciation and love follows."

"That I simply love pani puri and Maggie noodles."

"Oh I’m glad we’ve finally started to have some scenes together and we share a very great rapport. Siddhant (Karnick) is such a well mannered person who’ll offer his chair to people and keep worrying if you want something. He’s a very sweet guy."

"Of course I see both the things. For an actor you don’t have as many years to work as others do. I cannot work from 18 – 50 years of age. No doubt now there are different genres that are giving equally importance to older woman. It’s like make hay when there’s sunshine. I don’t take up a show for money, I take it up for the concept and then I see if the money is good or not."

"Well, I mainly married Neeraj because of love (laughs) and then because I don’t have too many actor friends. Also I always wanted a non actor and I’m glad it happened!"

"Not at all. It’s so hectic. On your wedding day, you just wear it for like 6 hours and you’re not even concentrating on it because you’re in another zone. But here, you not thinking of the marriage, you’re just shooting and looking at the watch… oh it’s 9 o’clock, I have to leave. It was nice to wear all this initially, but with time it just gets tiring."

"I think she was a diva, an epitome of beauty. I don't think I can ever be remotely compared with her. I don't think there's anyone as beautiful as her in the industry. If and when people see the show, they will realise, it's not about her, so there shouldn't be any comparisons."

"It is giving out a message saying, that sometimes your decisions probably are not supported by your family, but, if you think you are going in a right direction go ahead with it."

"I don’t know about that because nobody said anything to me on my face. And if I was being favoured, I would have just come for a couple of hours for the shoot and gone. Instead, I used to be on the sets for more than six hours, rehearsing, performing and then rushing off for my Madhubala shoot!"

"Madhubala' is just a tribute to the film fraternity, to people from the industry - actors, junior artists, co-ordinators, the families who deal with them. It is an attempt to show how they are in real life and the emotions that they go through. It's about what happens behind-the-scenes, not about one person."

"We have named Smriti Irani as Cylinder Cindrella as when the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh led UPA government was in power at that Smriti Irani used to hold protest demonstrations by carrying LPG cylinder on slight increase in LPG but now she seems to be ignorant about the LPG price and is maintaining a silence."

"Smriti Irani's comment on Rahul Gandhi that 'ghar par ladka hai par lad nahin sakta' (There is a boy at home who cannot fight) is wrong. Being a woman, such a statement is incorrect. Instead, she should encourage women by saying that they should fight for themselves."

"How could you embarrass an embarrassment? It’s an oxymoron... If you stand in the capital of India and say you support “Bharat ke tukde honge” (India will be broken into pieces), I don’t have an iota of respect for such individuals."

"I am not an astrologer, but I can assure you that the BJP will form the government. If not, do you think Congress leaders who have been humiliating Hindu Gods would prostrate before them now?"

"The man who broke the Bank of England and is designated by the nation an economic war criminal has now pronounced his desire to break Indian democracy. George Soros, an international entrepreneur has declared his ill-intention to intervene in democratic processes of India... [Smriti Irani called upon citizens to] denounce the intention of this individual who seeks to demonise our democracy and who brings an onslaught to the economy of India so that he can personally gain... Those who Mr Soros finds pliable need to know India has defeated imperialistic design before and shall do again. Democracy has prevailed in India and will continue to do so. Designs to weaken Indian democracy will be met with might of India under leadership of PM Modi."

"I read it because I was asked to explain what the truth is. I said it with a lot of pain. I myself am a practicing Hindu, I myself am a Durga worshiper. These are authenticated documents from the university itself."

"A failed dynast today chose to speak about his failed political journeys in US. Rahul Gandhi belittled his political opponents in America. It is not surprising that a dynast has absolutely no support. The fact that Rahul Gandhi chose to belittle the Prime Minister is not surprising rather it was expected. After not getting any support within the country, Rahul Gandhi is expressing his pain in foreign land."

"If the BSP leader is not satisfied, I am ready to behead myself and lay my head at your feet."

"Now trust me, I have left my house at Delhi in the morning at 4 today, I caught a flight at 5 to go to Kochi, I did a conclave there, caught a flight at 5 to come to this programme, by the time I get to anything called food, it will be 10’ O Clock. If you’ve called me at any time of the day today from Gallup and asked, ‘Are you hungry’, I’ll say, Oh yes, I am."

"In that kitty of mine where people call me anpadh (illiterate), I do have a degree from Yale University as well, which I can bring out and show how Yale celebrated my leadership capacities."