I grew up in Denton, east Manchester, and was raised by my late father, Reg, a barber.

The future destiny of a child is always the work of the mother.

My mother celebrated every Hindu festival with the appropriate rituals, but no one acknowledged birthdays. My parents never hugged us, kissed us, or said, "I love you.". Love was assumed. We never shared fears or hopes and dreams with our elders. They just were not the kind to have those conversations.

I grew up in a Hindu household but went to a Roman Catholic school. I grew up with a mother who said, 'I'll arrange a marriage for you at 18,' but she also said that we could achieve anything we put our minds to an encourage us to dream of becoming prime minister or president.

My father really was not the dominant person who raised the family, it was my mother who raised the family.

My father rebelled ferociously against his conservative upbringing where his father physically abused him.