I grew up in Lake Gardens, Calcutta, and I was the elder of two siblings. When we were tots, our mother used to sit with us to train us in music. It soon became clear that my brother Rajarshi was not interested. So, it was I who went on to learn Rabindrasangeet and Nazrulgeeti from her.

My first show was in Alipore Central Jail when I was nine years old. In case you are shocked, let me tell you that my father works as a psychologist there. So, I was familiar with the surroundings. The prisoners loved my performance. After that, I sang in Howrah Central Jail, followed by a couple of professional shows at Puja pandals. The first such show, I remember, fetched me Rs 2,000. Manna Dey was my idol and I would sing all sorts of songs that he had sung. I knew very little Hindi then.

At school (Nava Nalanda), I figured in the top 10. My favourite subject was physical science and I dreamt of being a scientist at Nasa. I would sing in class, keeping beat on the benches. By Class IX, I had started taking music seriously. So, though I was eliminated from the top eight stage of the Zee Golden Voice contest, I did not give up. After passing Madhyamik with star marks and five letters, I signed up for Zee Bangla Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and won. Around the time when I got a direct entry into the national contest, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007, my Higher Secondary exams were on and I had to shuttle back and forth by air from Mumbai to take my physics, chemistry and mathematics exams. It was an expensive proposition for a middle-class family like ours but I had assured my father that I would get a first division. And I kept that promise. In January, my school conferred on me the Nalanda Ratna title. It was such an emotional moment.