I think like my character in Swades.

Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to change the way our society functions. My efforts to bring social awareness should not be restricted to short films on cancer, polio and AIDS. Cinema is a very important medium of putting social messages across.

Paheli was an entertainer with a social message. It talked about women's emancipation. But it wasn't a bra-burning propaganda film. Films like Black and My Brother... Nikhil serve a great social purpose but I want the message in my films to be more fun-oriented. That's where I come from.

I started with street theatre. We used to put across ideas on family planning and dowry with a lot of enjoyment. I love nautanki, folk theatre, cartoons and puppetry. These are vibrant forms of artistic expression. I love to express myself through basic art forms.