1 / 8Malvika Raaj had a dream start to her acting career at the age of 11 when she starred in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001) with the role of younger version of Pooja, aka Poo, a character played by Kareena Kapoor Khan.2 / 8The former Miss India finalist, recently opened up on why she was away from Bollywood all these years after a dream start to her career.3 / 8“There were offers, but I was a very notorious child. My family really wanted me to concentrate on my education and focus on that. 4 / 8Acting would have really distracted me in my schooling days. I didn’t want to be one of those child actors who drops out of school. 5 / 8If I was a brilliant student, then probably my parents would have allowed me to act,” she explains her decision behind this hiatus.6 / 8Raaj admits that it’s only now that she realises how wise a decision her parents had taken about prioritising her education.7 / 8“I’m glad they didn’t let me do more films. But my training in dance, diction and everything went on in the side,” she tells us.8 / 8The actor may have been away from films, but she stayed in touch with her director, Karan Johar. “Every time we meet each other, it’s a very cute and sweet emotion we share,” she gushes. Raaj, the daughter filmmaker Bobby Raaj and granddaughter of actor Jagdish Raj, says she may have grown up in a film family and with social connection with filmmakers, but she hasn’t used it to get work.