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Before doing 'Midnight's Children,' I didn't really have a chance to explore my Indian side. The Indian side of my heritage was always present, but it did not particularly define my identity. Being English was more an identity-defining status. I was born and brought up in London. Yes, my father is Parsi.

I grew up in Delhi, where there are no Parsis. But once I came to Mumbai, I realised how quirky Parsis are.

I have been to Kashmir many times, especially with my family, in the '70s.

I can speak a little bit of Hindi but understand every word.

I would still like to own and run a restaurant serving Indian food with a good dollop of Parsi cooking - which you can't seem to get anywhere.

I was born a proud daughter of Pakistan, though like all Swatis I thought of myself first as a Swati and Pashtun, before Pakistani.

I am a Hindu, brought up mostly in India.

I'm a pucca Indian. Bombay is my home.

Because my parents are Indian, everybody speaks Hindi to me, and I have no idea what they are saying.