Deepika Singh talks about her struggles and new-found success

An arduous struggle
I had a happy childhood. But in my growing years, I had to come to terms with my family problems owing to dad's business suffering losses. In a bid to help him out, I joined his garments shop at Karol Bagh, Delhi. By God's grace, the business picked up and things were smooth sailing from there. Yet, I felt a void within me. I had done theatre while studying. Suddenly, it struck me that I should try acting as a profession. I informed my mom about my decision and came to Mumbai. As luck would have it, I went for an audition and got selected for the show. That I had bagged the lead role was something I learnt only after two months.

Popularity pangs
The sudden recognition that I got was initially scary, because stardom was new to me. But being in the television industry for two years, I have learnt to handle it. Earlier I used to feel weird if someone complimented me but now I talk to my fans and also reciprocate their good wishes.

Leisure time
With our hectic schedules, getting some ‘me time' is a task. But whenever I do get time, I catch up on films. My favourite actors are Irrfan Khan and Manoj Bajpai. I also like to listen to different kinds of music. When I am happy or feel like dancing, I listen to hip hop or contemporary dance numbers. I also listen to ghazals by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. I cook occasionally, when my parents are in town. I have learnt most of the dishes like rajma, dal fry and curry based vegetables by watching videos online.

Travel diaries
My favourite travel destination is London. The best part about London is that a girl can roam around town without any fear, even at nights. Since I am a loner, I would wander off on my own. u00a0