When I was offered 'Abhijaan,' I didn't know any Bengali. But Satyajit Ray insisted, saying my character spoke a mixture of Bhojpuri, Hindi, Urdu and Bengali. I agreed only because he had faith in me.

I was fascinated with Urdu ever since I was a child.

I was exposed to a Muslim school, so I learnt Urdu. I was exposed to a Hindu school, so I learnt Hindi. I was exposed to a Church of England school, so I got my Senior Cambridge certificate.

I speak Hindi fluently because my mother speaks only in Hindi and Urdu.

A few words of Hindi appear here or there, but it's all Urdu. I feel that if the popular culture, which is what Hindi films are, uses Urdu, it's not going to diminish.

I have translated Bengali poets such as Subhash Mukhopadhyay and Sunil Gangopadhyay before. These were published by Hindi and Urdu magazines. But to take on Tagore's work is no easy task.

I feel French is very close to Urdu. Both languages are beautiful. Sadly, their beauty is lost in translation.

I want to learn how to speak Urdu. I find it very interesting and soothing to ears. It is very poetic too.

My identity comprises of more than just my faith. I am a proud Muslim, but I am also a liberal, a Briton, a Pakistani, a Londoner, a father, a product of the globalised world who speaks English, Arabic and Urdu.

I can't understand Urdu, Bahasa or Russian, but when the Pakistani Faiz, the Indonesian Rendra and the Russian Rosdentvensky declaim, I can feel the living throb of rhythm and music, the warmth and passion of their poetry, as do the hundreds, not a mere roomful, of poetry lovers in the audience.

I speak Urdu quite a lot, too, and I read a lot of Persian.

Being master of Urdu doesn't interest me, being part of the global society does, breathing hope into that society matters to me.

Since my schooldays, I've read the translations of Bengali writers. I'm Punjabi, but I read a lot of Bengali and Urdu literature.

The Urdu or Hindustani language we use isn't popular in theatre these days. It was a language that was being used in cinema from the 1950s until the '80s. It is a very communicative language.

Bengali is like Urdu. If you cannot get the pronunciation right, you spoil the flavor of it all.

Given a chance, I would love to host a television show as I have good communication skills and am fluent in Hindi, English and Urdu.

We recognised Urdu as the second official language and made it a medium of examination in all Bihar Public Service Commission tests.

Michael Bates was a very funny actor; he'd served in India, could speak Urdu, and had great comic timing.

I do play tennis in shorts, I have driven across the length and breadth of the country from Khardung La pass to Kanyakumari in my beloved Ambassador car, and I did compile my 100 Lyrics book, inspired by Lyrics by Sting. I don't subscribe to any definition of an Urdu poet.

I was 17 when I first acted on stage. I was a part of an Urdu adaptation of 'Spartacus' in the titular role.