Her younger daughter, Sarika admits, has always been artistically inclined, impressing with sketches since a young age. So, it didn't come as a surprise when Akshara decided to figure out her true calling by turning an assistant to Rahul Dholakia on Parzania and later Society.

“She's a hardcore actress; this is what she wants to do. Even before she decided to be one, she was spoofing films on home videos. She has a great sense of humour, a clarity of vision and a sense of responsibility which will work to her advantage. Her decision didn't surprise us but it had to come from her,“ says the proud mother,“ says the proud mother.

Sariika was delighted when R Balki presented Akshara with a “brilliantly original“ script and the opportunity to work with two National Award-winning actors, Amitabh Bachchan and Dhanush, in her debut film, Shamitabh.

“It was like going to university and Akshara took it in the right spirit. As an actor she has the fearlessness of an innocent child. Anything different, even if it's dark, excites her,“ says Sarika, who like her former husband Kamal Haasan, has always been open to daring, offbeat subjects. “But at the end of the day every child is an unique individual and this fearlessness is a part of Akshara's character rather than her legacy.“

Talking of legacies, Sarika sympathises with the fact that being the youngest, Akshara has to constantly field questions about her parents and elder sister Shruti. “But she's putting up with the three of us rather gracefully,“ she laughs.

Interestingly, Sarika is yet to see her daughter on screen and has been on the sets only twice. “I was dying to see her everyday but when your parents are from the same industry, it's inevitable that they would know the people you are working with. I was working simultaneously with Mr Bachchan for a TV series, but it was important for Akshara to think of him as her co-star and the rest of the Shamitabh team as hers. So though we discussed work, at the end of the day, professionally she was Balki's baby.“