 Vidya grew up in the suburban neighbourhood of Chembur , Mumbai and was schooled at St. Anthony Girls ' High School . From a young age she aspired to a career in film and was inspired by the work of actors Shabana Azmi and Madhuri Dixit . At the age of sixteen , she starred in the first season of Ekta Kapoor 's sitcom Hum Paanch as Radhika , a bespectacled teenager . Following the success of the show , Vidya refused director Anurag Basu 's offer to star in a television soap opera , as she wanted to concentrate on a film career . Her parents were supportive of the decision but encouraged her to complete her education first , so she attended St. Xavier 's College to pursue a bachelor 's degree in sociology and later earned a master 's degree from the University of Mumbai . 
