As a child, I wanted to become a police officer. I did not have the least inclination to become an actress.

I loved going to school, as that meant playing a lot of games. I played hockey, volleyball, basketball and kabaddi. I liked to participate in all sporting events, as I simply loved games. I also often participated in inter-school sports meets.

I was the youngest of my seven siblings and it had its advantages. I was spoilt rotten, but that doesn’t mean I was ill-mannered. My parents were quite strict when it came to enforcing discipline.

I was born and brought up in Mumbai. Every year, however, we would pack our bags and head for our native place, Raigarh, to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. Those few days in Raigarh were a lot of fun — our parents would let us enjoy the festivities and allow us to temporarily forget about our studies.

I looked forward to Ganesh Chaturthi, as my maternal grandmother would join in the celebrations. I simply adored her: she was a fabulous storyteller. She would make us sing and dance to folk songs. I am sure that I have inherited her dancing and singing genes.

I went to Vidya Prasak Mandal’s Vidyamandir. I was good at studies and always among the top five students. In senior school, my classmates elected me monitor. This was because I always used to bail them out and speak up for them. I used to participate in almost all co-curricular activities.

I was shy, but that didn’t stop me from playing pranks. Once, in an exceedingly boring history class, we started playing games. When I realised that the teacher had noticed us, I ducked under the desk, pretending to retrieve my pen. Unfortunately, the trick didn’t pay off and I was

punished.

All in all, I had a great childhood. I’m thankful to my parents for making it that way.

As told to Shabina Akhtar