I knew that all South Indian language films were first made in Chennai and that Tamil Nadu is one of the biggest film-producing centres in the country. I wanted to be part of films here.
— Nargis Fakhri
I miss having my mom and close friends around. Thank God for Skype and Face-Time, which keep me connected... but interacting digitally can't come close to the feeling of being hugged by my mom or getting together for a meal with my friends on the same table.
Keep your energy levels high by adding bananas and egg whites to your diet.
Every friendship is different because everyone's personality is different.
To kill yourself for earning a salary is not worth it.
I sometimes wonder if I pushed myself to get out there and meet people I'd get more work.
I don't have to be a size zero anymore. But I still want to feel and look good.
Ritesh Deshmukh is rock star. He has a lovely family. He works so hard, and he's a great actor. He's funny, friendly, doesn't have an ego, and is so nice to everyone. He's a fine professional, a good husband, and a good father. That's a rock star for me.
It took me just three months to pick up Hindi. I guess I'm a fast learner when it comes to languages.
I was 16 when I started modelling. It wasn't planned, but nothing in my life has or ever will be planned.
My life and my happiness is most important to me than any job or anything in the world.
People will still give me attention: even when my teeth are gone, I'll have some good stories to tell.
I did a B.A. with a major in fine arts and a minor in psychology. I wanted to become a teacher or do art therapy for the elderly. But then I realised I wanted to travel instead.
My mum was born in the former Czechoslovakia, and even though my grandparents weren't wealthy, they were aristocrats in their time.
It has been a tumultuous journey, no doubt. But I feel blessed to have got work.
Hard work and dedication is important to success, and I have those qualities.
I don't eat white breads, and I'm off dairy due to an allergic reaction and because of what it does to the body. I've learnt a lot about different foods and how the body breaks it down and what happens when we eliminate or incorporate certain foods, and it's pretty fascinating!
My motto is never to hold on to anything. I accept and then let go: not just the negatives, but the praise, too. Or it'll get to my head.
After coming to India, I have felt the loneliest I have ever been in my life. I don't have a support system here.
If you feel like snacking, stock up on almonds, walnuts and cranberries.
Courtship is like simmering mutton. You cook for hours and hours to taste the soft meat. It doesn't happen in two seconds!
I don't think anyone could play me. It would have to be me.
I just do my job and go home. There's just one or two people I can say are friends that I can call.
You need to train your brain to be positive.
When you are sick, you are sick. Period.
As a child, I did watch some Hindi movies at home with Dad, but I didn't know who anyone was. I wasn't interested, honestly.
I'm usually always very happy and funny and positive. It's only when I'm tired that I get a little low energy.
No, I don't have a plan. Whatever happens happens. There's never a plan.
If I can still have Hollywood and a piece of Bollywood, I will take it.
When I was 12, my mum put us in a summer camp meant for children from low-income families. It was in upstate New York where we had to live in tents, fetch water, cook our meals, and even dig our own toilet bowls.
I feel like an alien. I feel people don't like me. People behaved strangely after 'Rockstar.'
In Bollywood, they like to put us in short clothes. And I am very shy; I don't like wearing revealing stuff, though my image is such. Unfortunately, it's a body-obsessed industry.
I don't really know what the prerequisites are for Bollywood, but I do believe I can be successful in anything I choose to do.
I have vowed never to take antibiotics again unless I really need them. I also learned to pay attention to my body, know the difference between indigestion, an allergic reaction to food, a parasitic infection or worms. It's incredible how well I know my body. I really love that.
I read about human psychology, practise balance, and accept that everything and everyone in our lives is transient. One day, people will criticise you, and the next day, they will praise you.
I generally fall sick if I eat very heavy food.
I like to start my day with a glass of coconut water, some protein powder, and a mix of things - goji berries, flax seeds, hemp seeds, even the flesh of a coconut or anything with a lot of fibre. I often add bananas, or eggs - fried or boiled - to my breakfast.
I am a romantic, and I think dates are wonderful. I like quirky and fun things. Like going for a bike ride or for a pedicure together.
Because I'm in the public eye, I think that I would prefer to date someone regular who isn't in the news all the time, but I think even if you date someone regular, they'll still put it in the news.
I have this board in my house that lists out all the things that I love about myself. It's a board of affirmations, and it serves me well.
One day, I will tell my story... where I came from and where I am now and how I remained positive.
Don't be surprised if you find me doing some charity work in another country.
I've never been a movie buff. If I did go to a theatre to watch a film, half the time, I would fall asleep.
For me, life is about experiencing many new things and working with good people, working on good projects, and in general, just having any kind of job.
It's so lovely to know that people who you would never think know about Bollywood, they know about Bollywood.
I shake hands on the first date.
I grew up in the projects in Queens, and we were really poor.
I had to struggle with the language. I can understand Hindi now, but I still can't communicate. And things get lost in translation; I feel rejected all the time.
My priority is the script. Get me a good script, and I will sign the movie. I think I should leave the casting up to the experts!
My mother is happy with whatever I choose to do in life as long as I'm happy, healthy, and safe.
