Q. Tell us about your childhood days.
A. My dad was an army officer and my childhood was spent in all the contentment areas so I have never stayed in a place for more than two and a half years.

I stayed in Punjab's Patiala and Surajpur two years separately. I was in Shiliguri for two years, in Kolkata for about a year and so on. I was born in Delhi army hospital and late on my dad was posted there also.

Q. Were you a good student?
A. Umm...not exactly, I was a very average student. If you talk about me as a student I would like to say only one thing that everybody thought that this guy i.e. me was not capable of doing anything in life.

During any annual function at every school they call a chief guest, who generally is an ex-student then turned into a well known personality.

But I never got such a call from my school, so I guess that they might don't even realize that I was from their school.

Q. What was the worst popular trend when you were in college?
A. During my college days ragging was at its peak. We had to wear under wears outside our jeans, propose girls, crawl on our knees and on our elbows, stand for six hours at a stretch at any particular place; so I think it was a little way over the top.

Q. Did you have any ambition to attain?
A. Since my dad was from army, I was very fascinated with the fighter planes (laughs). There was a time when I wanted to be a fighter pilot but somewhere after my 11th and 12th I realized that it was something I was not interested in doing. So, I decided on giving the idea up.

Q. What is the craziest thing you ever did to get noticed?
A. I don't remember having ever done something to get noticed. But yes, I remember when I came to Mumbai way back in 1996-97 and was on the look out for work, one day I got a call of work at 2 am while we group of few people were standing in Khar.

We were so excited with the call that we made a bet of removing all our clothes and go and touch a tree 50 meter away and come back. I think that was the craziest thing I have ever done.

I was lucky that nobody saw me doing that and also because I got the money decided for the bet.

Q. What was your fashion mantra when you were 18? What is it like now?
A. I used to get a very basic pocket money at that time, to be honest. The best dress, shoes, the accessories etc. you use definitely requires money to buy.

Though things can be bought with nominal amount also, but cheap stuffs are not fashionable at all. I was very comfortable in my local made jeans, hits, T-shirts and sneakers.

Even now I don't go for brands every now and then. If things look good and fit well on me then I will definitely pick it up without thinking about brands.

Q. what rumours did you have to face during the time you were 18? Do you have to face any rumor now?
A. When I was 18 I never gave a shit about what people was saying involving me and even today I don't give a damn to others' thoughts.

Q. What nicknames did you have back then? Do you have any nickname now?
A. When I was in school i.e. up to 11th and 12th, I was called ‘hot stuff' and now few of my friends call me AV (short form of Aman Verma), my father calls me Gibs, or Aaman. But nobody calls me as Aman.

Q. Who were your best friends? Are they still friends with you?
A. I never had the chance to have best friends. It's only because when you are in army you have to keep moving from one place to another.

However, I remember that when my dad was posted in Delhi I had a friend called Narendra whom I know for last 16-17 years. Besides I can count people whom I met during my struggling days as my real best friends.

Q. What did you use to do for fun? Do you still do anything like that?
A. Fun at that time was something like going out for drive, dinner, lounging around some lounge areas and even today it's the same thing.

Q. What was your favourite hangout?
A. Since I moved around in so many places there was no such specific place to hang out. I think there were swimming pools, tennis courts or badminton courts or to go little away, the libraries and cinema halls which were my usual hangout places.

Q. Was Valentines Day important for you? What was your idea of dating back then?
A. We had the idea that on a Valentines Day we should have a girlfriend, so I think I was too young to think of that at that time. We just wished that we had girlfriends and were very inquisitive about those in relationship. Nothing special otherwise. Dating for me was a man and a woman together having fun.

Q. What advice did your parents give you when you were 18? Do they still advice you?
A. All that same stuff like study hard, have to do something in life, I think all the typical lines you get to hear all over. That's all I had to hear from them. Today they have given up and I do what I want to, but they say not to mess up my life which I do follow all the while.

Q. What were you worried about back then? Is there anything that still makes you worried?
A. I think the only fact that worried me was I didn't know what I wanted to do in life. When I passed my college I wanted to be an actor. I have achieved that goal. But today I worry every day about my career in the next 5 years or so.

Q. Who was your sweetheart in college and whom do you think about now?
A. No sweetheart during college days. I couldn't going around with anyone as I was too shy. It's only after coming to Mumbai I realized that I have to open up in life.

And now you can talk about A or B or C or D (laughs) name of girlfriends. Well, just joking. But I am still not into a serious relationship. I have friends and colleague whom I meet sometimes but nothing serious as of now.

Q. With which celebrity you wanted to go to an isolated island? What was your naughtiest fantasy with her?
A. When I was growing up I loved Sara Blunt, a model, whom I still want to be with. And I am sure that if I am in an island with her I don't need to tell or explain you what I would like to do with her.

Q. Does 'BEING 18' hold any significance for you?
A. Yeah, you are growing up, you are young, taken some decisions, made some mistakes and you want to go back and rectify that but time never comes back. So, I suppose would like to go back to 18 again and rectify my mistakes (smiles). - Pratik Maheshwari