I am officially a doctor, and believe it or not, I can save lives and tune certain instruments and can beat peasants with a stick. Sanjeev Bhaskar More Quotes by Sanjeev Bhaskar More Quotes From Sanjeev Bhaskar I was far too embarrassed to share the experience of Indian food at school. As a kid, you're desperate to fit in, to assimilate in some way, and everything about me stood out. Sanjeev Bhaskar kids way school Alan Alda and his wife Arlene are two of the most life-affirming people I've ever met. He espoused equal rights for women while producing, writing, acting in and directing M*A*S*H; he used to commute between the set and home because he didn't want to disrupt his kids' schooling. Sanjeev Bhaskar home writing kids Michael Bates was a very funny actor; he'd served in India, could speak Urdu, and had great comic timing. Sanjeev Bhaskar timing india actors My mum thought my TV and film addiction was laziness. If you're an immigrant, you know you'll never be an accepted part of society, but you hope your children will be, and you try to make them essential to the community in a practical way - being a doctor or a lawyer. Acting was beyond their comprehension. Sanjeev Bhaskar doctors addiction children I've always saved. I believe in keeping money back for a rainy day and living within my means. I don't buy expensive clothes; I have a 10-year-old car I'm hoping to replace when a big job comes in. I suppose when we do go on family holidays, I am quite happy to spend when we are there. Sanjeev Bhaskar holiday jobs believe Because of my Asian-ness, I couldn't be anonymous - what I said, what I ate, what I did at the weekend were startlingly different to what everyone else did. I was also a performer, quick and chameleon-like, good at accents, so that made me stand out. Sanjeev Bhaskar asian weekend different There are occasions when I've had beef, but I generally tend to avoid it, as a nod towards my parents' culture. Sanjeev Bhaskar beef parent culture During an early performance of 'Spamalot,' I left my regal gloves in the fridge to cool down and didn't remember them until I was on stage. They needed to be thawed overnight. Sanjeev Bhaskar gloves down-and remember The Kumars... played on five continents, and even when I came up with the idea I was slightly surprised that no one else had. Sanjeev Bhaskar continents five ideas With 'Mumbai Calling,' I was surprised it was ITV that went for it because it didn't traditionally seem like the kind of programme they would make. Sanjeev Bhaskar make because like mumbai Casting me as King Arthur was quite bold of 'Spamalot's producers, although it has been historically proved Arthur was Asian, and that Sunday trading started with Asians in 11th-century Britain. Sanjeev Bhaskar bold king me sunday When we created 'Goodness Gracious Me,' it was quoting 'Python' and Woody Allen lines that really bonded the writers, and the 'Spamalot' material is so utterly, wonderfully surreal that it hasn't dated. Sanjeev Bhaskar me gracious lines goodness One of the benefits for me of starting late in this business is I realised that if acting was the only thing I could do, I would struggle, so I always wrote as well. Sanjeev Bhaskar me late business struggle I was greatly influenced by 'The Goons' and 'Monty Python' reconstituting what comedy was - it could come from a funny word, not just a set up and a pay-off. I liked the zaniness; they were satirical, slightly saucy and very literary in their references. Sanjeev Bhaskar just up comedy funny My head is in India, yet my body remains in Britain. I straddle the world like a colossus. Like a 5ft. 7in. colossus. Sanjeev Bhaskar like india body world I was the first member of my family to cross into Pakistan and find his ancestral village. Sanjeev Bhaskar find pakistan village family