India
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When I was growing up, my parents told me, 'Finish your dinner. People in China and India are starving'. I tell my daughters, 'Finish your homework. People in India and China are starving for your job'.
There are large numbers of people in India below the poverty line; there are large numbers of people who lead a meager existence. They want to find a little escape from the hardships of life and come and watch something colorful and exciting and musical. Indian cinema provides that.
My journey began with a single pencil. While traveling through India in 2006, I asked a boy begging on the streets, "If you could have anything in the world, what would you want?" and he answered me with two words: "A pencil". Luckily, I had one in my pocket, and in the second it took me to give it to him, a defining dream was born.
We earned our dollars in a hard way, nobody gave us a feast or gave it on a plate. We worked hard and we have innovated; we have made things in a better way at a cheaper rate and gave it to the people of India.
The best gift for an actor is the love of the fans. Many make sweet cards, write letters and even come and meet me wherever I am in India. The love and blessings of your elders is also always cherished, but the extra mile that the fans go to is memorable.