Mumbai, Aug 20 - Eleven-year-old Avika Gor became a household name ever since she started working in the popular series 'Balika Vadhu' as child bride Anandi and says she enjoys all the attention she gets.
'More people want to talk to me. You are calling, aren't you? Now you're my friend. Nope. I am your fan. Ha ha. I love the attention. I love meeting new people,' Avika, who has just won Rajiv Gandhi National Award, told IANS.
Before 'Balika Vaddhu', she featured in 'Rajkumar Arryan', 'Chalti Ka Naam Gaddi' and 'Karam Apna Apna', but got her due with this series on the plight of child brides in Rajasthan.
Avika gives credit to her father and writer for the success. 'My father, writer of 'Balika Vadhu' and my director Siddharth Sengupta - all of them taught me to do the right thing in front of the camera,' she said.
Tell her that she talks like a 40-year-old and pat comes the reply: 'But I'm just 11. You don't believe it? It feels great to be called a star at this age.'
She refuses to admit that she is slogging herself for the serial. 'I do everything. Yes, I do miss school sometimes. But I bring my school books on the sets and study between shots.