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The first turning point in my life came in 1991 when I was studying in Mumbai’s St Andrew’s College. I think my fascination with food began then as I had taken up a job at a neighbourhood ice cream parlour to make some pocket money. Looking back, this was perhaps an indicator of things to come. But even after this, I didn’t really step into the kitchen for serious cooking for a decade.
The same year I met Arshad Warsi when he was invited to judge a dance competition in college in which I was participating. I just knew from the start that he was going to be the one.
After college I tried my hand at modelling and did a few advertisements for Titan and Sunsilk. By 1999, I was finding a niche in the modelling world. The year proved to be crucial as Arshad and I got married and I was selected as a VJ through a talent hunt competition. The job was great because I loved facing the camera and could talk till I dropped.
I subsequently got a few film offers but I never gave acting a fair shot. I did just one movie, Raghu Romeo, in 2003, and didn’t actively pursue a career in films. Besides, one actor in the family is enough.
My biggest turning point came in 2010 when my maid went on leave and I had to cook for my children Zeke, 8 and Zene, 5, for an entire week. A friend, Jaya, suggested that I blog about my cooking experience. I am so technologically challenged that I had to ask her what a blog was! Eventually, she helped me set up the blog.
Last year, I enrolled in UK’s Tante Marie School of Cookery, an institute run by the Michelin-starred chef, Gordon Ramsay. For three months, I cooked my heart out during classes. It was wonderful to be in a place where everyone who came had one thing in common: their love for food. I consider myself really lucky because I found myself again. Since I don’t shy away from desserts, I have now become the brand ambassador for a prime ice cream brand.
