About Me

A simple Pune girl from a family of engineers, my elder brother Viraj and me grew up listening to how my great grand-father had fought poverty (Writing down entire study books because he couldn’t afford to buy them, he worked for neighbourhood families who in turn would offer him food… so on n so forth) to become an engineer himself with renewed interest each time we heard it.

I completed my schooling from St. Joseph High School. More academically inclined I worked hard to make it in the merit list. Though I missed it by a few marks I stood 4th in my school and got admission in the top ranking College for Science “Laxmanrao Apte Junior College.” As per natural course I took admission at Cummins Engineering College for Women.

But destiny had other plans. “We must let go of the life we have planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us!” I learnt this the tough way. After only a few months I had to discontinue my course as my health was not supporting me at the time. This was a huge set-back for me.

Accepting the many sudden changes taking place, feeling lost and betrayed by your own dreams and the resulting depression all had to be dealt with at one time. But just like you need to solve an entire mathematics problem to get it right, this life puzzle too needed to be solved in its entirety and not in segments. But “It’s Always Darkest before Dawn.”

Since childhood we had heard about how our maternal grandparents had faced severe hardship (Extreme poverty due to drought conditions thus forcing them to leave their hometown Ahmednagar, consequent professional problems, family health crisis, Pune floods it all) and yet overcame it with painstaking efforts and determination to set up a flourishing business. I guess all this had indirectly taught me to be a fighter.

Reluctantly I changed course to Arts Stream. More time allowed me to pursue other interests. News articles related to civic problems and the apathy on the part of the concerned authority always troubled me. On researching I came across National Society for Clean Cities (NSCC), an NGO with an umbrella body for many Mohalla Committees all over Pune. They work with the Local Governing Bodies to resolve long pending problems.

I formed a youngsters group and we visited Urali Devachi a small village near Pune where the entire cities garbage is dumped. The magnitude of the dumping ground issues needed attention. We organised a peace marchand signature campaign involving various Pune Colleges and at ShanivarWada pledged for scientific disposal of waste. On World Environment Day we performed street plays. Simultaneously I completed my Environmental Waste Management from ACS Distance Education, UK.

Soon I realised the process of bringing about change is very slow, limited. Over the years I always had long conversations with my father and felt frustrated and many a times helpless at the way things function in our society. He made me realise that only complaining will not bring about the solution. One needs to act on it. He used to tell me how, when an influential personality appeals for a social cause it works on a much larger scale.

Around the same time our awareness plays were getting good response. This triggered a different direction of thinking. Out of liking I had done a theatre workshop after my 12th. My father’s uncle “Mr. Yashwant Pagar” was a very well- known name in the theatre field in his time. Under his theatre banner “Shriranga Sadhana” many popular marathi plays ran to packed houses. I guess, deep down there was some connection which I never would have realised and pursued had I continued on the set path.

I enrolled at Anupam Kher’s The Actor Prepares and completed my Diploma in Acting. After passing out from this Institute, I auditioned at several production houses but to no luck. During this struggling phase my mother kept my motivation alive and was my greatest pillar of strength and support and accompanied me everywhere without tiring. Soon one project led to another. Ultimately I dream of using this platform to make a difference.

But I would like to specify a few points here. The entertainment field looks very glamorous from the outside but tons of luck, hard work, patience, time, energy, money all have to be invested without any fixed returns. So having a secure back up career makes sense for all those who want to give it a shot.

A healthy lifestyle helps in achieving a balanced mind and body in order to face this competitive field. A fitness freak myself I regularly practice, yoga, meditation, pranayama, morning-walk and healthy eating habits allowing a little craziness once in a while. “The Battle of life isn’t ever won by the one who is most talented, but by the one who doesn’t lose his grip over the sword till the last breath!”

I would like to conclude by thanking my entire Family, Friends and Well Wishers who always have and continue to be with me in fulfilling this Dream!!