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I was born and brought up in Sanatnagar.
The most beautiful memories of my childhood are associated
with Kashmir. At that time, the political situation in Kashmir
was not as bad as it is today. I have fond memories of boating
in the shikaras on the Dal Lake and chatting with my friends
at our favourite joints.
My father is an IAS officer.
I have two elder sisters and an elder brother. Both my sisters
are doctors while my brother is working with Acer, a software
company. I happen to be the youngest and the most pampered
one in the family. As a child I was quite naughty but thanks
to our extended family, I was always protected. My grandmother
was the head of the family and she always came to my rescue
when I was about to be spanked.
As a child I was a troublemaker
and used to scream my lungs out. Initially, my neighbours
would complain but soon they got used to my antics.
I was obese as a child. There
was a time when my waistline was 38 inches. I used to sneak
into the kitchen and gorge on mouthwatering mutton delicacies.
When I was in class VI, my parents sent me to Lawrence School,
Sanawar in Himachal Pradesh. Life at boarding school was
fun. I was a prankster and with no one to monitor my moves,
I sharpened my skills.
Once, just before the vacations,
my friends and I decided to be adventurous. We sneaked into
the rooms of the dormitory, painting the faces of those
asleep. Only, instead of colours, we used unadulterated
shoe polish. Imagine our excitement.
I was a bright student with a
passion for sports. I loved playing cricket and football.
I was in class X when I decided to lose weight. My physical
education teacher, Mohit Khanna, inspired me to turn into
a fitness freak. Within a year, under his guidance, I managed
to get into shape. Meanwhile, I got interested in acting
and took it up as a career. Though my stint in Bollywood
was not so successful, lady luck showered her blessings
on me when I tried my luck in television.
My message to all of you is to
have fun and never give up.
As told to Shabina Akhtar
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