I am a Pune girl.

My dad was in the Army and I was born in Kashmir. As a child, I travelled all over the country.

After Dad retired, we settled in Pune. I studied in S P College and came to Mumbai in 1998 to participate in the Miss India contest.

I did a lot of ramp shows and television commercials like Sprite, Bru, Dabur, Ponds, Santoor, Colgate, Philips and Breeze.

I didn't enjoy the ramp much, but I enjoyed doing commercials. I made a lot of friends in Mumbai.

Not many know I made my acting debut with the television serial Noorjehan.

I had not thought about becoming an actor, but when Cinevista offered me the lead role in Noorjehan, I decided to give it a shot.

Before the shoot, I had to go through rigorous classes in Urdu diction, acting and horse-riding! It was an unforgettable experience.

Balaji Telefilms' Kutumb (2001) made me a household name.

The serial was different from all the others that were airing on television at the time. The story of a couple who hate each other's guts but still end marrying to each other intrigued everyone.