Until my early teens, I lived with my mother in New York, and I spent a lot of time in the company of her friends, mostly artists and designers, such as Andy Warhol, Ross Bleckner and Francesco Clemente, none of whom had kids, so I was like their shared child.

I sometimes clean my ears up to five times a day. Even having buds in the same room makes me want to have a go. When I'm in India, the cheap ones freak me out because I worry they'll drop off inside my ear. In the U.K., I like Johnson's.

Becoming a grandmother has felt like being a mother.

I listen to all sorts of music, but I'm not musically talented. Everyone expects me to be a good singer or musician, but I really am terrible. I'm a great dancer, though.

I'm a loner, and I'm most comfortable living by myself, but Bengaluru is home for me, as my family is there. Having said that, once you come to Mumbai, you can't turn your back on it. I've grown close to Mumbai now.

The strength of my mother is something I didn't pay attention to for so long. Here she was, this single mom, who was part of the Great Migration, who was part of a Jim Crow south, who said, 'I'm getting my kids out of here. I'm creating opportunities for these young people by any means necessary.'

I grew up in a family with three brothers and sisters who joined my family through the foster care program, and I also have a sister who joined my family through a faith-based organization.

Very often when you see families it's all perfect and neat, and parenting isn't like that. You do have constant negotiations. Things are ever developing and ever changing, and you constantly have to evaluate how you deal with your kids.