There are some, at least superficial, parallels between you and Quentin Tarantino: Both ran video stores. Both have no formal training. Both with instinctive cult-spawning work.

It is funny, but I have never seen his films (laughs).

My whole film-watching has decreased ever since I became a director. That's because, obviously, I am very busy.

In fact, [while] starting the video library, I got very busy: I started it because I had this encyclopaedic knowledge of cinema. I knew which cassettes to recommend because I had seen them all.

Tarantino came after that. Even when I saw -- I didn't watch the full film -- Pulp Fiction, I feel it's very (raises eyebrows)...

I don't think I make films like Tarantino.

In the picture: Vivek Oberoi in the crime thriller Company, said to be one of Varma's best films.