It would take about two days to reach my mother, a small sacrifice for being there in her time of need.

Before I begin, let me tell you a few things about me... I’m a gender queer actor who loves to sing, dance, and shatter stereotypes.

My parents waited anxiously for my birth as I was their first child. They loved me like no other and dotted over me, but our poverty...

I grew up in Pune, India, in a middle-class family. My parents had corporate jobs and worked from early morning to late evening to provide..

My father was a Kashmiri Pandit, a Hindu in a Muslim-dominated area. But in those days, it was no real threat other than...

Our village was surrounded by the forest on all sides, but those were not forests children could play in, because there were tigers...

Life can be tricky; it’s like teetering along the edge of a cliff. One setback can land you on the streets...

With many, many patients coming his way, my father was highly esteemed—a venerated figure like a god, in fact...

my father was a poor shopkeeper with little earnings to feed, clothe, and provide for my mother, my four siblings, and me...

Unfortunately, the north also houses some of the poorest and least privileged of the country. Labor can be as easily bought and sold...

Traditionally, Indian families want boys, but as they already had a son, my parents welcomed my birth with all their heart...

My parents were both renowned doctors of the city, and despite their demanding profession, they always seemed to make time...

My father, a labor union leader who was tangled up in domestic politics, married at the young age of 17. But how could he not?...

We were not rich, but we lived a happy and comfortable life. I saw the world through their eyes and everything seemed wonderfully...

Did you get a good look at me? Yes? Look closer. You will see how I carry a laugh in each wrinkle and a song in each one of my beard hairs..

A life without its own identity is nothing but a shadow. It clings to another and hides from the sun...

Every day, I walk the streets and select a place that is not far off from my walled city of Lahore, Pakistan. I put down a cloth to sit...

Our small, close-knit family was overflowing with love and happiness. I was a chubby little girl who loved packing her stomach with...

For the first 16 years of my life, I never had the courage to stand up for myself. I let people walk all over me. I was meek and lived...

My family and friends were there, and it was what I was used to. I wanted to travel to other countries, but I always thought I’d come...