My dean guided me when I wanted to pursue my dream: TV actor, Noida graduate

NOIDA: When TV actor HimmanshooAshokMalhotra recently came to his alma mater, Amity University, Noida, after a period of eight years, just ahead of Teacher's Day, he not only revisited fond memories, but also got a chance to reconnect with his dean from when he was in college, Dr Gurinder Singh. Himanshoo told us, “I was doing a postgraduate diploma in international business, and he was one person who really supported me when I shifted streams to become an actor.I adored my dean and he has guided me through the entire transition. He wasn't there when I visited the campus, so one of the representatives called him up and made me talk to him. I was shocked when he said he recognized me on the phone. He told me, `Beta, I saw your serial.' He then sent his car to pick me up and I went and met him. Now, we are connected online.”
Himmanshoo told us, “Dr Gurinder was really happy when I went to Mumbai to participate in an acting reality show. My friends said, `We are voting for you. Even Dr Singh is voting for you.' He was extremely proud of me because I had managed to excel in a field that was quite different. I will always be thankful to him because he let me go and participate in the show. If he hadn't, I would not have been where I am today,” he said. Dr Singh, now the group vice chancellor at the university, told us, “Himanshoo was always a talented student. He was involved in theatre and we were quite happy to see his work. He went to Mumbai for auditions and when he returned, he was confused about whether he should join the corporate world or pursue his passion. I encouraged him to follow his passion and today I am really happy to see his success. A few days ago, when he called me up to tell me that he wanted to meet me, I was happy because for teachers, the only reward is when a student comes back and says, ‘Sir, you have had an impact in my life’.”