What were your growing up years like?
My family felt it was important for us to go to English-medium schools. I went to St Vincent’s in Pune, and I owe a great deal to the schooling I received at this Jesuit institution. The teaching here was meticulous, broad and open. On the other hand, my father who came from Arabia also brought with him a tutor from Saudi Arabia, who watched over us continuously. So there was the double advantage of being anchored in your own culture, but at the same time being able to adjust comfortably to cultures other than your own. I often took part in plays both in school, and college at St Xavier’s Bombay, and they laid the foundation of the work that has shaped my life ever since.