As an actor, I try to work in as many films as I can.
— Prateik Babbar
Umrika' was one of the most wonderful collaborations I had the privilege of being a part of.
Now for me, acting is all I want to do for the rest of my life. So I am going to give 100 per cent to it. Whether I am becoming poor or rich, famous or unknown, it does not matter. This is what I am here for.
Relationships have been a way of life and I don't regret being in one ever.
Yes, I mean, I can't match up to my mother's acting skills, actually both my parents. I just cannot match up to them. My mother was such a powerful and a respectable performer. They are actually overshadowing me and yes, I cannot be as good as them.
I want to love myself and love my life.
I have realised acting is my heartbeat and my lifeline.
Both my parents have done considerable work in theatre and I have grown up with that culture, but I still felt that I needed formal training.
Dad is very hard working. I want to be like that. I just want him to be happy with my work.
No one needs to treat you like a star kid in the industry, but you do get pointed at... people assume you get everything on a silver platter, but that's not true.
I like feeling fit and strong.
I was disappointed with 'My Friend Pinto.' Everyone put a lot of effort into it but the final product was something no one was ready for. The story was altered and a lot of scenes were edited. I got a lot of flak for my performance.
Obviously I am Prateik Babbar but I would like to be called Prateik. I am superstitious; there is a spiritual reason why.
Vidyut Jammwal is like an older brother; I will love him for the rest of my life.
It is not about being a hero or a villain; I want to be a solid and passionate actor.
I know I must be true to myself.
The biases in our society stems from the orthodox mentality. It is very deep-rooted in our country but we need to wake up.
I am proud of whatever my parents have achieved. In fact, it drives me to excel in life, to perform even better and explore myself.
As an actor, it's your job to switch on and off from the character.
With time, the one thing that I have learnt is, never taking the opportunity for granted.
The funniest rumour that I've heard about myself is that I am gay.
I just stumbled into acting; my first choice indeed was music and sports.
No, I never planned my life.
Everyone has some sort of struggle.
I get very lazy when I come to Delhi. My visits here are all about sitting and eating and it is very dangerous.
I don't know if I am like her, but I am told that my eyes and my smile are like mom's.
I'm a very laidback sort of guy, but people assume I am a serious actor and a serious person. That is not true.
Most pretty girls are hard to please, aren't they?
No, I don't regret any of the films that I did.
I never dropped my surname.
Life is nothing without ups and downs.
My grandparents and my aunts tell me that I need to make a name for myself like my mother. Their thoughts really motivate me.
I was always aware Mom was someone who was recognised, admired and loved.
We, as a society, need to be open-minded.
A lot of things have hurt me about the industry. I don't want to be very vocal about this but it's an everyday fight with Bollywood. It's like a love hate relationship.
Getting to work with good filmmakers and getting to play good characters in films is so special.
I was just 19 years old when I did my first film and had no plan to act, or to become an actor. It was like a paid holiday so that I could earn good pocket money and then party more with my friends.
Basically, whenever I watch my mother on screen, I never judge her as a performer; I always see her as my mother and I become emotional.
I know that if I want to be respected, I have to show respect.
At 19, I got signed up for commercials, it was easy money.
I feel that a film or a play presenting homosexuality does not necessarily have to come with a message for the audience. It is a way of life, everyone should be treated equally.
I make it a point to have my meals after every two hour gap and am very particular about it.
Whoever you are, you have to prove your worth.
I spend about two hours every time when I'm in the gym.
Some of my films were worth it and some were not. Like every actor, I had my share of ups and downs but I took it in my stride and tried to learn from it.
Prateik means symbol so I symbolise certain things in my life.
You win some, you lose some. You get hit you don't get hit, but it's not about how hard you get hit. I think it's about how hard you get hit, then still get up and deliver an even harder punch. I think that's what it is all about.
I don't want to limit myself as an actor.
I have no choice but give my best, even if it is a small role. There are a lot of expectations from the family and industry.
There are too many different kinds of people in this world. Not just drags or gays, everybody is different from each other. We should proudly own our individuality.
