Madhavan: "Aamir is a secure actor"

On 3 Idiots
“When Rajkumar Hirani (the director) called to cast me in the film and told me the subject, I started laughing. He was puzzled as he couldn’t understand the reason. I insisted on a screen test and he asked me to enact the scene where my character Farhan tells his dad that he’d rather be a wildlife photographer than an engineer and when I was done, Raju was crying. He asked me how I could be so convincing and I told him that it was a page out my own life.”

On Raju Hirani
“I think I am in love with Raju. He makes me blush. He has this effect on me, as he does on most people who come in contact with him. Do you know that there are no deleted scenes in any of his three films? The man knows exactly what he wants, he is so thoroughly prepared and confident that he doesn’t shoot even a minute more than he needs to. And there is no yelling on his sets. He is calm so everyone else is calm too. It is a positive atmosphere buzzing with energy. On his sets no one feels duty bound, they feel morally obliged to do their best. You see the difference?”

On Chetan Bhagat
“As of a few days ago the gentleman has apologised but the fact remains that he chose such an unfortunate time to grumble. And what he was cribing about exactly is anyone’s guess. He claimed the movie was 75% like the book. All I want to say is please read the book and watch the film, then draw your conclusions. Chetan could have expressed any doubts he had during filming, when he was shown the script and later the film. What upsets me most is that the integrity of someone like Raju has been questioned. He is almost a saint, that’s how good he is. And his films reflect his heart.”

On Aamir Khan
“He is a secure actor who has no problems letting someone else take the spotlight. If you remember, even in Rang De Basanti Siddharth had the best role but Aamir played his part without any insecurity. He looks out for you and guides you along the way. I remember I had to pull off a tough scene and he was running late to catch a flight, but he stayed and gave me the cues himself because he wanted to be there for me. What more can I ask?”
(Filmfare)