Exclusive! Children's Day Special: Bollywood actors want to revisit these days of their lives

What added to the festive weekend was the Children’s Day celebration across the country yesterday. BT got in touch with celebrities, who went back in time and recalled their favourite childhood memories...

Ileana D’Cruz: Wish I could go back and spend more time with my uncle
I wish I could have spent more time with my uncle. I grew up with him in Goa.He was a father figure and I was close to him. He made me feel special and helped keep the child in me alive.

Freddy Daruwala: No cell phones during our childhood, but life was still beautiful then
I’d like to go back to the 7-9 year old me! At the time, my teachers and my friends in school were kind and loving. My parents were much younger and fitter then. I can also get to watch cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev playing together. We always looked forward to our school vacations. There were no cell phones, but life was still beautiful then.

Urmila Matondkar: Summer vacations with grandparents in Konkan were divine
I would certainly like to go back to the times when my brother and I would go to our grandparents’ home in Konkan for summer vacations. It was absolutely scenic, serene and a divine experience. The place has many old stunning temples, running waters, untouched clean sea and white shores. And above all, a backyard full of world famous Alphonso mangoes. Our grandpa who was a math teacher, would also make us write and recite tables till 30, every single day! That’s the reason I am still strong at mathematics.

Adah Sharma: Childhood were the best days, minus the geometry exams
To be honest, I don’t know which moment of my life I want to revisit. I would have said rolling in the sand, but I just did that yesterday (laughs!). Childhood were the best days of my life. The only part I didn’t enjoy were the geometry exams, which makes me grateful that it does not feature in my life now.

I would like to spend time with my grandmother and my dad
I enjoyed spending time with my grandmother. I was always pressured into trying to be like my older cousin, as he was doing well in studies. My solace used to be food and my granny's cooking. She taught me how to cook, clean and also played badminton with me. Even at 70, she used to beat us hollow at the game. She used to make me my favorite food everyday. When I was winning the Mister India (World, 2001) crown on stage she died in a hospital of blood cancer and I never really got to say good bye to her. So, if I could travel back in time, I would spend time with her and even my dad, who passed away quite suddenly too.

Karishma Tanna: Childhood is incomplete without papa
I would like to go back to spending time with my papa. He was extremely good with math. He used to make me learn the tables, and for me to learn them well, he would weave in animated stories.

Mithila Palkar: Summer vacations without the 7 pm curfew time were unforgettable
I’d like to revisit the time when summer vacations were still a thing and I could spend endless hours just playing games with my friends downstairs. Our parents didn’t call us back home at 7pm and that was the biggest thrill. There was no curfew time and we could play for as long as we wanted! Those times were innocent and precious.

Akshay Oberoi: Am curious about the time when I was three, like my son is now
When I see my three-year-old son Avyaan, I feel like going back to that age. The equation between parents and children at this age is so pure. Unfortunately, we don’t remember how we were with our parents at the age of three, so, I would like to travel to that phase of my childhood to observe the equation and the bonding that I shared with my parents.

Zareen Khan: I was the proverbial teacher’s pet
Hands down, it has to be my school life! I was very popular in school, because I was good in my academics. Having scored a distinction, I was a teacher’s pet. And that’s why I could also get away with almost all the mischief and pranks I would play. At that age, stress and tension meant exams, but life as an adult has taught us the real meaning
of stress!

Vardhan Puri: Want to revisit birthdays, where my grandparents were present
I would like to visit the times when I had all my grandparents with me at my birthday parties. We used to have the best time cutting cakes and playing games. I miss them dearly. The love of grandparents is pure, wholesome and extraordinary.

Maanvi Gagroo: Would like to go back to school, but without the exams
If I had to revisit a time period from my childhood, it would have to be my school life, but without the exams! I absolutely loved going to school, but would get anxious before exams. I was a good student. We were (and still are) a group of close friends, but didn’t have any responsibilities, personal or professional. So that is something I’d love to go back to!

I enjoyed spending time with my mother and my brother in a park
I want to revisit the time when my mom used to take me and my brother to the beautiful, horticulture park in Kolkata. My brother would be in the pram and I used to push it around, while my mom took us through the park. It had the largest variety of flowers there at the time. Even now when I close my eyes I can actually smell the flowers and the air of that park!

Zaheer Iqbal: Our only worry then was who would be the captain in the next game
I would go back to the time when I was about 12-13 years old. I grew up in a building with 10-12 other children of my age, and every evening we would go downstairs and play. I miss those days with my friends, when the only worry was who would be the captain in the next game.