I was born in a huge family in Gorakhpur with grandparents and many uncles and aunts. I have a younger brother. Our family owned farms, sugar factories and distilleries in the area. I spent about five years there before moving to Lucknow, where I went to St Francis? college. I was there till 1985, then I went to Patiala where my parents had built a house. I joined a residential school called Punjab Public school, where there the outdoor activities kept me busy throughout the year. I enjoyed participating in all sorts of games.

Ater, I went to Chandigarh G.C.M. college to do my graduation. I wasn?t exactly dying to spend too much time on academics ? especially after studying so hard in school. I always studied during the last few days before the exam, but somehow managed to bag a first division. But studying everyday was a strict no-no. I?d spend the entire year trekking in the mountains and going for car rallies. My family kept persuading me to move away from risky pastimes. Once, while I was driving with a cousin, he told me about an accident he had had and I realised how precious life was.

Ad wanted me to go to the US for my MBA. But a cousin of mine, with whom I was very close, insisted that I go to Mumbai and start taking acting lessons. Since I am a Punjabi, my Hindi is good and this helped a lot when I started acting in Hindi films.

S a kid, I was very obedient and never threw tantrums. But, by the time I was in class VII, I started becoming naughty. I?d be up to a lot of mischief ? if someone was snoring and irritating us, we?d squeeze an entire tube of toothpaste into his mouth or put a drop of ink on his face so that if he rubbed it in his sleep, he?d be blue all over. Such incidents would take place when I would stay up studying for my exams and everyone around me would be sleeping and snoring away. Thankfully, my parents are very nice and in spite of all my mischief, I never got a beating.