My firsts with Manav Vij

My first….

Day at school: I don't remember my first day but my dad always tells me that after 2 or 3 days in school I was asking my dad 'how much more time do I have to go?'

Day at college: I was ragged big time. When I went to medical college everyone warned me about ragging. I like conversation and interacting with people so I thought that if they do rag me it would be a good thing. Whatever they said I did it - I became a murga and I had to sing songs but by the end of it I became best friends with the seniors.

Job: In a medical hospital. I sat there for 2 hours a day for one month.

Salary: I've earned a lot in my life but my parents say that I've only earned them a lot of humiliation. It was the same job in the hospital for which I got 7000 rupees. I gave it to my mom. I figured that she has given me so much so I might as well return a little bit to her. Even now I take money from her. If I have to buy something worth 1 lakh, I save up 70 thousand and the remaining 30 thousand I take from my mom. I have a belief that every time my mom puts money into something of mine, it is good for me- like a blessing.

Autograph: This was before I started acting. I gave it when I was in medical college at an inter-medical college sports meet where I performed really well. After I started my acting career it was when I was shooting for Bhagat Singh in a central jail in Punjab. A lot of the prisoners shook my hand and hugged me. I asked them to perform with me and I felt proud because they listened. They respect Sukh Dev so they were happy to act. All the extras in that scene were real life prisoners.

Date: I was in love with a girl in medical college. I won't tell you her name because she's married with a kid now. She was very beautiful- externally and as a person as well- and I was in awe of her. For our first date I took her out for coffee and after that I proposed to her about 3 or 4 times and kept telling her that I loved her but she kept saying no. I wasn't heartbroken because I knew she thought I was a good person and she couldn't marry me because of parental pressures.

Kiss: It was amazing and wonderful. I had my first kiss when I was in college.
Big purchase: I bought a Sony home theatre which was very costly at the time. I paid about 50,000 rupees for it. It was when I just moved to Mumbai and I was renting a place. I was struggling at that time but was very fond of movies so I managed to save some money.

Fight: I've fought a lot in my life. I always say that I can leave Firozpur but I can't take it out of my blood. I spent my whole childhood in that place where there are only two emotions- love and hate. There is no middle ground over there. Either you love someone that you go to the extent of pressing their feet when you see them or you hate them so much, you want to cut their throat. My first fight was a very big one in college. It was all about pride and honor and that kind of bullshit. It was stupid but at that time you think it is worth it. I still have a scar on my body as a memento of the day.