I am a thorough Mumbaikar ? I was born here and spent my school years at St Teresa?s High School. My father was a police inspector and my mother, a classical singer. Both my parents are avid film buffs and as a kid I remember being taken to see two films every week. And whenever there was an excessively romantic or violent scene, I remember my father covering my eyes with his palms. I always wondered why he was doing that.

lived in a bungalow called Kum Kum Villa, which belonged to the actress Kum Kum. She, too, lived in the same building and I remember seeing many film stars who came to visit her. Growing up in such an atmosphere made me interested in films right from my childhood days. Gradually I came to realise that movies didn?t just mean stars ? they also involved a whole lot of people who worked behind the scenes to make a film what it was.

fared very poorly in class XII and had to give up all hopes of studying medicine, something I had been very keen on. I went to Mithibai College instead, from where I got a degree in chemistry. In college, I joined a number of societies. I had discovered that participating in extra-curricular activities would allow me to skip lectures. I was thrilled by this and joined everything ? and that?s how I discovered myself.

joined the folk dance and acting groups and found that these came easily to me. I also took part in singing competitions. I even went for plays and discovered that I could hold my own on the stage.

Hile I was spending my days involved in these activities, I also got to know a number of eminent theatre personalities. One of them was the director Ketan Mehta, who very graciously offered me a role in his film Holi . That?s how I got my first break in films. And then there was no looking back.