If fate had given in to a 14-year-old's wish almost 17 years ago, the Indian fashion industry would have been bereft of the talent of Masaba Gupta today. The ace designer reveals that as a teenager, she wanted to follow in actor-mother Neena Gupta's footsteps. "I wanted to act since I was 14, but I was dissuaded by my mother for various reasons. She told me I would be stereotyped. Back then, I wanted to be an actor for the sake of vanity. I wanted to have people fussing over me in the make-up van," laughs Gupta, surprised at how destiny works in mysterious ways.

Today, she finds her desire fulfilled as she headlines Netflix's Masaba Masaba. "I was relaxed in front of the camera. I am as content with what I did as I am critical," says Gupta, who is open to more acting offers. "I will act because I enjoy it. My business puts food on the table, so there is no compulsion to act."