She may only be 12, but Balika Vadhu actress Avika Gor is matching steps with all those actors who pride themselves on being invited to international festivals. The child actor became the first ever Indian to be felicitated at the International Drama Festival in Tokyo. “It was the best experience of my life. One episode of Balika Vadhu was screened there. The people over there were surprised to know that our shows run for about 300 episodes, while their shows wrap up in 15-25 episodes!” she recalls. Although she spent most of her time shopping for “clothes and shoes, and enjoying in Disneyland,” she managed to learn a bit about the local culture too. “I learned numbers from 1 to 99 as well as how to say ‘Thank you’ and ‘Good bye’ in Japanese,” she says.

She further adds that Indian shows are making waves in Tokyo. “People over there seemed to be in love with Indian drama and they appreciated our work a lot. It felt great when audience over there appreciated my speech,” she concludes.