I don't shop much when I go abroad. I'm a miser when it comes splurging and I don't go overboard. If there's anything I'm crazy about it's make-up; recently I shopped for some while I was in New York. As for the rest, my sister Arti spoils me. She goes and buys whatever she thinks will be nice for me and gives it to me--along with the bill of course.

I am not money savvy at all. I wish there was no such thing as money, though it's needed to give co-ordination to the system. I depend a lot on advice from my dad and my FCA. Yes, I consult my dad when Ineed to spend money. He never stops me, but it's me--I first need to know exactly how much I have in the bank before I would think of spending any of it.

The craziest thing I've ever done is that I recently bought myself a very expensive keyboard--could probably record a whole album on it. You know what? I don't even know how to play it.

I hate numbers and the whole concept of tax. I am hopeless about all this, although I have a major in economics. But I only took the subject because of this wonderful professor--a lady.

I have a layman's knowledge about these things, but I would think it's wiser to invest in real estate. I don't know why, it just seems more solid. But I'm not making a strong statement about this. However, I would never speculate.

Money is just basically to facilitate living a life comfortably. Look after yourself and then be of service to somebody. I would not like to depend on anybody--spouse, siblings or parents.

I do give to charity, but not through shows. It's because that's theonly place I get to earn. I don't want to sound pseudo or artificially magnanimous, but I would like to make myself monetarily secure and then, when I'm in a position to be recognised by a major part of this globe, I would like to put chunks of money where I could make a difference-educational institutions for Fine Arts, AIDS awareness, spastics, the Tibetan crisis etc.

-- As told to Punam Mohandas