Down Memory Lane

8216;8216;I was born here and spent my childhood here. Then my father shifted to Mumbai but because my grandparents, my uncle and aunt and...

Prachi Shah
Actress at M G Road, Pune

8216;8216;THE shops that I once went to as a child, clutching my grandmother8217;s hands, are the same ones I go to today, only to be recognised and greeted by the shopkeepers. The streets where I used to amble for hours on end with an ice-cream cone in my hand are the ones where, at every step, I get a smile, a wave or a request for an autograph. So much has changed about Pune and M G Road, my favourite part of it, that I guess it8217;s taught me to accept the difference in the way the city reacts to me now,8217;8217; smiles the pretty Prachi Shahi.

And kyunki Prachi bhi kabhi Puneite thi, the city holds precious memories for this 23-year-old Mumbai-based television actress cum kathak dancer, so much so she makes it a point to come down here 8216;8216;almost once a month8217;8217;.

8216;8216;I was born here and spent my childhood here. Then my father shifted to Mumbai but because my grandparents, my uncle and aunt and their families continued to live here, Pune is home to me. I don8217;t remember a single school vacation that was not spent in Pune. All our clothes would be bought here because we were always here for the Diwali holidays. And I have more feelings for Pune than I do for Mumbai, though I love both cities,8217;8217; says the actress who has made waves on the small screen with her roles in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahin Diya Jale Kahin Jiya.

8216;8216;What really feels good is that the city I have always considered my own now recognises me and gives me a warm welcome. And now they know me as Prachi Shah, not my small-screen names. That makes my family quite proud. Yesterday, I was at my cousin8217;s place and almost the entire neighbourhood descended on the community hall to get themselves photographs with me,8217;8217; she smiles. As if on cue, a young man approaches her, seeking her autograph for his mother, a great fan of Prachi8217;s.

Other than M G Road, the main shopping area of the city, another place that Prachi makes a point to check out is Bund Garden. 8216;8216;My grandparents used to bring me here as a child. My grandfather still comes here every evening and sits with his group. And I come sometimes with him, sometimes on my own, just to relive those happy memories. It helps me to unwind and get recharged for Mumbai8217;s mad pace ,8217;8217; she enthuses.