My earliest experience of watching a live performance was a dance at the school gathering in the school hall when I was 4 years old. We were sitting in a gallery above and watching the performance below. Initially I could only see the shadows of the performers and thought that the shadows are the performance I was supposed to look at. But then afterwards when I peeked, I could see the seniors perform and I was amazed by it and couldn’t take my eyes off.

Another vivid memory of a live performance was of the play ‘Janata Raja’ in Mumbai when I was 9 years old. I was amazed by the crowd that had come to watch the play. The set was huge and colourful. The use of fire and actual horses in the play fascinated me.

I do not remember my first performance. But I vividly remember the play I had participated in when I was 8 years old. The backstage, the green room, the wings peeking to the stage and audience was another world! I still remember the smell of the theatre where we had performed. I remember I was most comfortable on the stage, in the light with my fellow performers.