Rakshit Shetty

I just want to be remembered for good work.

The story of 'Punyakoti' is real-intense. It has a lot of layers and is not as simple as the stuff I wrote when I was an amateur.

If you find yourself waiting for the weekend to approach, then it means that you are not happy for at least five days a week.

Avane Srimannarayana' is the result of three years of hardwork and dedication which went into its making. We have made it very passionately, and for me, I am satisfied with the fact that we were able to make the film as we intended to do it in the first place.

I always wanted to reach pan-India audience, and 'Avane' is my first step towards it.

As an artiste, I like things to be interactive and like the audience to get involved in cracking the code, as it were. I like to show them my art, but hide a few golden eggs.

If I had to rate them in order of preference, it would be writer, director, actor and then producer.

I believe writing is where it all begins; you can not make a film look different, you have to write it differently.

Most films I write are based on what I have seen growing up, and I could write 'Ulidavaru Kandanthe' because of that familiarity.

I want to enjoy work. Some of my projects have taken time, and some haven't.

I believe that even if you do 50 films, you will be remembered for the best five.

Direction is closest to my heart. I may run out of work as an actor as I get older, but I can work as a director even if I live up to be 90. I promised myself that I will direct a film every three years.

During my stint in IT, I worked and used the free time to browse the net for research on cinema. In the evenings, I did theatre. Had I not been successful, I would have gone back to my IT job. It was my back up plan.

When you are born and brought up in Udupi, you end up as a doctor or an engineer. Else you are thought to be a dull head. I had to complete my engineering and worked in the IT industry for a few years to get myself the financial support to pursue my dream of acting.

Life gives you a lot of experiences, sometimes it is a good experience and sometimes it is bad.

As an actor, I feel, I should not choose a film just to help get great box office results but one that challenges me as an actor and gives me the pleasure of playing a certain role.

But I must confess that Kashmir is one place that made me reach out for the camera. Such is the setting that no matter in which direction one looks, you get a gorgeous frame.

Failure is a better teacher than success. I am what I am today because of failures and successes.

Nobody starts off as a hero, that does not happen even in films. It is passion, hard work, and perseverance that makes the difference. Dream big, follow your passion and work hard towards fulfilling it and it will pay well.