If Jugal Hansraj knew, as a child actor, that he was among the lucky few to have worked with actors of the calibre of Dilip Kumar, Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, he probably wouldn't have been able to concentrate on acting at all.

"Can you believe it? Here I was, acting with Dilip Kumar, arguably the greatest actor to have ever graced the Indian screen, and two actors who were nothing more than Naseer uncle and Shabana aunty to me at the time," says Jugal, reminiscing on his days as a child star.

In Karma, Jugal played the Kumar's grandson and the ever-popular role of the illegitimate son to Naseeruddin Shah in Masoom. Jugal's stint as a child actor was the stuff dreams are made of: "Yes, the phase after Masoom changed my life. People started recognising me wherever I went, and aunties would pull my cheeks all the time, much to my annoyance. But my parents and school administration ensured that I had a very normal, down-to-earth upbringing."

"We were pampered all the time," says choreographer-turned director Ahmed Khan, who was among the youngest break-dancers to show off his act in Mr India.

Aftab Shivdasani, who was also part of the Mr India gang, and who also acted in six other films as a child actor, believes that the experience is nothing less than special.

"First, it's never really work, but like an extra-curricular activity. Everyone is caring and pampers you to the hilt. What's more, you get leeway in terms of committing as many mistakes as you want," says Aftab. Jugal sums it up: "Being a child actor is the easiest, because all you have to do is be yourself."
Source : Central