Eventually, my mother encouraged me to get married, although I had hoped to first settle down in my career. However, she insisted, and on February 21, 1996, I got married to Gayatri. Together, we have two children—a son and a daughter.
Mother’s Wisdom: Guiding Me Toward Acting
After my marriage, I wanted to do something, but I didn’t know how to approach it. My comfort zone was my friends, so I spent time with them. I aspired to become a director and even wrote a couple of stories. However, my mother persuaded me to act in films instead of directing. She said, “You want to direct, but who will give you a chance? What do you think, being a director is easy? It’s like a tunnel, and you don’t know what’s on the other side. Directors learn many things from life, and that’s how they write stories. Direction is not just about photography, lenses, and films; direction is life. You don’t know anything about life yet, so first, learn about life. Focus on acting because it’s in your blood and DNA. You have talent in you, but it hasn’t come out yet, so start acting. Only then will you understand life.”
