She shot to fame as one of the members of India?s very first all-girl band Viva but there?s more to Anushka Manchanda than that. Which is why, even now when she is no longer a part of the group, the bubbly young Anushka continues to make waves as one of the most popular veejays on Channel [V].

Having seen success, glamour and even failure at such a young age, Anushka claims she is ready to face the music again. Her tryst with the band may be over but her passion for music remains firmly in place. No wonder then that even while veejaying on her mentor channel, she continues to work on her music, which she plans to release soon.

Her mom, Terry, claims Anushka, has managed to balance the dual roles of disciplinarian and friend. Mother of two and a Reiki master to boot, Terry Manchanda has her hands full as she shifts into her new home in Mumbai. Her experience in teaching children meditation and the art of spiritual healing is, according to her, the secret behind scoring points with her kids.

Anushka on Terry

Unlike most other mothers, my mom is quite chilled out, though she does get hyper and yell at my brother, Shikhar, and me on occasion. My mom was always a disciplinarian, especially as my father was away most of the time working on a ship, and it was left to her to keep us in line. But through it all, she has been a friend as well. She?s always been a big hit with my friends too, as they?d come over and chat with her, discuss their problems and seek her advice. You see, she has a way with kids and always seems to know what?s going on in their lives.

It?s probably because of all this that my mom has always been my best friend. She has inculcated strong values in us and has always taught us that honesty and sincerity are of the utmost importance. My mother is a very strong woman. Bringing up two kids and managing all their tantrums and quirks is no easy task, but she has pulled it off with grace and elan.

Mom has never discouraged me in anything. Ever since my childhood, I was good in singing, dancing, playing musical instruments and even painting and my mom always encouraged me in all these pursuits. I remember the time when my friends and I decided to bunk school and visit a pool caf? in Noida. We had a great time and when I returned home, I told my mom all about the fun we?d had. So, when the school authorities contacted the respective parents, and the principal asked them if they knew anything about their kids bunking school, my mom was the only one who said ?yes?.

The principal and the others were shocked and asked her how she could have allowed such a thing. And all that my mother had to say was, ?They were going to do it anyway?. It wasn?t like she condoned our behaviour but she knew that children are prone to doing such things and you can?t really stop them. To that extent, my mom?s cool and understanding.

Now that I have been living away from her for almost two years, I?ve realised just how pointless our fights were and how thoughtful and patient a mom I have.

Terry on Anushka

Anushka is a very restless child. She can?t sit still for long and always has to be up to something or the other. Even when I was pregnant with her, I remember she?d move about so much that I used to get breathless. From a very young age, Anushka showed an inclination for the arts. She started humming when she was all of nine months and began playing instruments when she was just five. We bought a piano for her when she was seven years old and I was surprised at the speed with which she learnt to play and sing.

Anushka has always excelled at whatever she has chosen to do. Be it elocution, singing, playing an instrument or performing ? she always managed to come out tops. She was good even in studies and I can?t remember a single teacher complaining about her. At times, like any other mother, I used to worry about her future, but Anushka always insisted that she would be someone some day.

And so far, she seems to be on the right track. A chance visit to the Channel [V] Popstars audition changed Anushka?s life forever. In fact, we were poised to move to the US when an unfortunate accident led to our plans getting cancelled and Anushka landed up at the auditions. To be honest, I wasn?t too happy that she chose to go, as her pre-boards were scheduled the next day. But her father insisted that she give it a shot and the rest as they say, is history. My only regret is that she never managed to sit for her 12th standard exams and despite my urging, she remains just too caught up with her career. However, Anushka has promised us that she will complete her studies soon.

Initially, when she joined Viva, I was quite apprehensive. But when I met all the crew members and the others involved, I was satisfied that my daughter was in safe hands. The channel really went out of its way to pamper and take care of them and today, when I look back, I feel happy that my daughter took the decision she did. Of course, all this happened to her at a very young age but thankfully due to the channel?s grooming and our influence, the stardom didn?t go to her head.

She still gets mobbed when she goes home to Delhi and people still walk up to her, but Anushka has remained unaffected by it all. It?s a nice feeling to see your daughter attain the popularity she set out to achieve and yet stay firmly grounded to her roots.