'I have no aspirations of being No 1'

Upasana Shukla, Sia of 'Astitva - Ek Prem Kahani', muses about Mumbai, success and travelling in local trains.

Career: I did my post-graduation in event management. Later I did plays with Atul Kumar's The Company Theatre. The most memorable plays I did were 'Voices' and 'Lady with the Lapdog' (based on Chekov's short story).

Sia: I got selected to play Sia, Simran's daughter in 'Astitva-Ek Prem Kahani' after Ananda Telefilms called me for an audition. Sia is a headstrong but a positive character. All she wants is love. I was nervous as I was working with veterans. But they all made me feel at home.

Success: Theatre has helped me in all fields of life. It has given me confidence and helps me deal with people too. Success is not about graduating from television to films. It's the role which is a priority.

Glamour: Television is a medium where one has to look good. Personally I do not wear much make-up and I am mostly in jeans and tees. But I understand the demands of the medium and so I don't mind dressing up.

Fans: I owe my fame to television. It's overwhelming to know that kids love me. I had gone to Crosswords once when the mother of a little girl came up and said that her daughter insists on being called Sia.

Chill-out: I de-stress by reading. My favourite books are Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice', Ayn Rand's 'Fountainhead', Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights' and Khalil Gibran's 'The Prophet'. I find cooking therapeutic. I can make excellent pasta and other Italian recipes. I also unwind by listening to music, be it hip hop, jazz or retro.

Foodie: I am a complete foodie. I can live six months on Italian food and the other six on Chinese. It takes a lot of will-power for me to control my diet but I have started working-out. Exercise is very essential for mental well-being.

Mumbai: The city buzzes with energy. The minute I arrived here from Ahmedabad (my father was posted there) I was overwhelmed with the its pace. It took me a few months to find my groove but today I wouldn't be able to live anywhere else.

Self-reliance: I am an independent person. I can see a film or go shopping by myself. But I'm paranoid about travelling alone in local trains.

Dreams: I want to do good work. I want to lead a peaceful and content life. I have no aspirations of being no 1.

Relationships: Right now I have no time for them. But yes, I have the knack of knowing a good person from a not-so-good one. A smile is a perfect giveaway. My man should have a great smile.

Spirituality: I feel that spirituality has got nothing to do with rituals. I find tremendous peace when I visit the Sai Baba temple in Shirdi.

Mott Don't fret over small things because everything in life is eventually insignificant. What you get devastated by, only makes you stronger.