<p>This picture of me and my sister Nandini was taken in a studio in 1989. I must have been three years old and Nandini two years then. My mother Pushpa had dressed us up just for the picture and I still remember her telling me that I cried a lot that day because I wasn’t too happy with the idea of posing for a picture. But my parents were keen to have us both photographed together.<br /><br /></p>.<p>There’s only a year’s difference between us and that also explains why we are very close. We played together, went to school and tuition classes together and there hasn’t been a time during our childhood when I’ve done anything without her around. <br /><br />Unlike the children of today who play games on their fancy tablets, we never had the luxury of all these gadgets. We instead found joy in inventing our own games, which we played on the streets. My sister used to be the only girl in my group of friends. We would play ‘lagori’, stack together a group of empty cigarette packs and try to knock it down with the help of a marble. <br /><br /> My sister and I fought with each other a lot but we were also great friends. Sometimes, our fights would become serious and we would get physical too. But we were quick to make peace.<br /><br /> I always spoke my mind. So, whenever my parents would take us for a meal at any relative or friend’s place, I would be blunt and say that the food was not as good as what we made in our house. I would say it out aloud and it was indeed an embarrassment for my parents. It was hard for my parents to make me sound diplomatic.<br /><br />We loved junk food and I remember that every evening, I would take my sister to a bakery near our house and buy her whatever she wanted. She would return home full and wouldn’t have dinner. This continued for a few days until my parents found out that we were eating junk and this was why we skipped our dinner. We were taken to task and after that warning, we never set out in the direction of the bakery.<br /><br /> As a child, my sister wouldn’t listen to anybody except me. If I told her something, she would instantly accept it without a second thought but she wouldn’t take advice from other people so easily. This continues even to this day. If I have one weakness, it is my sister and our attachment, if I may say so, is ‘anna-thangi’ in filmi style.<br /><br /> We studied in Mahajanas High School in Mysuru and were there till our pre-university. We stayed quite close to the college. My sister wouldn’t be ragged because I was a senior in the same college and my father Arun Kumar was quite popular in the area. He was nicknamed ‘tiger’ by us and my friends because he was very strict with us and would beat us when we did something wrong. I was dead scared of my father. <br /><br /> I moved to Bengaluru to pursue my degree in psychology and journalism in K L E College and my sister joined Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College for Women.<br /><br /> There were two beautiful moments in my sister’s life. One was when she married Rahul and second was when my nephew Chirag was born. I remember the day when my sister delivered, I was dubbing for ‘Gajakesari’, and just about managed to snatch a two-hour break. The delivery happened during that break, on the same day but my parents informed me much later, worried that I would get tensed. My mother rang me up when I was again away shooting to say that I’ve become an uncle. I can’t put in words what I felt at that moment.<br /><br /> My parents have been extremely supportive in my career. I struggled a lot initially and my parents were with me in those hard moments. I am what I am today because of my parents and the sacrifices they have made. They live a simple life and never travel out with me whenever I go abroad or even come to any public function. They prefer to lead a low key life. My sister and brother-in-law Rahul too stand by me and lend their love and support. <br /><br /> Today, when I am at home, I am not treated as a star but as an ordinary person. I still get scolded at home by my parents for things that I do wrong.<br /><br /> When I am with my parents and when I see them going about their work, I feel that I haven’t attained the perfection that they have.<br />Yash (Actor) <br />(As told to Nina C George) <br /></p>
<p>This picture of me and my sister Nandini was taken in a studio in 1989. I must have been three years old and Nandini two years then. My mother Pushpa had dressed us up just for the picture and I still remember her telling me that I cried a lot that day because I wasn’t too happy with the idea of posing for a picture. But my parents were keen to have us both photographed together.<br /><br /></p>.<p>There’s only a year’s difference between us and that also explains why we are very close. We played together, went to school and tuition classes together and there hasn’t been a time during our childhood when I’ve done anything without her around. <br /><br />Unlike the children of today who play games on their fancy tablets, we never had the luxury of all these gadgets. We instead found joy in inventing our own games, which we played on the streets. My sister used to be the only girl in my group of friends. We would play ‘lagori’, stack together a group of empty cigarette packs and try to knock it down with the help of a marble. <br /><br /> My sister and I fought with each other a lot but we were also great friends. Sometimes, our fights would become serious and we would get physical too. But we were quick to make peace.<br /><br /> I always spoke my mind. So, whenever my parents would take us for a meal at any relative or friend’s place, I would be blunt and say that the food was not as good as what we made in our house. I would say it out aloud and it was indeed an embarrassment for my parents. It was hard for my parents to make me sound diplomatic.<br /><br />We loved junk food and I remember that every evening, I would take my sister to a bakery near our house and buy her whatever she wanted. She would return home full and wouldn’t have dinner. This continued for a few days until my parents found out that we were eating junk and this was why we skipped our dinner. We were taken to task and after that warning, we never set out in the direction of the bakery.<br /><br /> As a child, my sister wouldn’t listen to anybody except me. If I told her something, she would instantly accept it without a second thought but she wouldn’t take advice from other people so easily. This continues even to this day. If I have one weakness, it is my sister and our attachment, if I may say so, is ‘anna-thangi’ in filmi style.<br /><br /> We studied in Mahajanas High School in Mysuru and were there till our pre-university. We stayed quite close to the college. My sister wouldn’t be ragged because I was a senior in the same college and my father Arun Kumar was quite popular in the area. He was nicknamed ‘tiger’ by us and my friends because he was very strict with us and would beat us when we did something wrong. I was dead scared of my father. <br /><br /> I moved to Bengaluru to pursue my degree in psychology and journalism in K L E College and my sister joined Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College for Women.<br /><br /> There were two beautiful moments in my sister’s life. One was when she married Rahul and second was when my nephew Chirag was born. I remember the day when my sister delivered, I was dubbing for ‘Gajakesari’, and just about managed to snatch a two-hour break. The delivery happened during that break, on the same day but my parents informed me much later, worried that I would get tensed. My mother rang me up when I was again away shooting to say that I’ve become an uncle. I can’t put in words what I felt at that moment.<br /><br /> My parents have been extremely supportive in my career. I struggled a lot initially and my parents were with me in those hard moments. I am what I am today because of my parents and the sacrifices they have made. They live a simple life and never travel out with me whenever I go abroad or even come to any public function. They prefer to lead a low key life. My sister and brother-in-law Rahul too stand by me and lend their love and support. <br /><br /> Today, when I am at home, I am not treated as a star but as an ordinary person. I still get scolded at home by my parents for things that I do wrong.<br /><br /> When I am with my parents and when I see them going about their work, I feel that I haven’t attained the perfection that they have.<br />Yash (Actor) <br />(As told to Nina C George) <br /></p>