CBSE Results: Celebs talk about their score in the Board exams

It was probably the most dreaded Monday of all. Students, with their hearts pounding, waited for the result of their Board exams. Before CBSE results were declared, Vir Das posted a video, where he talks about all that awaits the students ahead — dreams, goals, friends, adventures — and how none of it requires a marksheet. We spoke to celebs what good (or bad) their Board results did to them... I did my high school from DPS RK Puram and I had come from Kendriya Vidyalaya Calcutta. I didn’t even know how to speak English. I got 73% and was delighted as I had managed to pass. In XIIth, I got 83%. My parents always supported me and knew that results are not the end of the world. — Shilpa Shukla, actressI secured 47% in Xth and 58% in XIIth. Extracurricular activities make a lot of difference. Degree and percentage are important, but that’s not all. Education is a necessity, but in the long run, personality and skills count. One has to work hard in one’s chosen field. — Mrunal Jain, TV actorI scored 70% in Class X and 67.5% in the Class XII Boards. In hindsight, I feel that it was good that I scored less. Had I scored 90%, I would have done engineering, which is not something I would have enjoyed since I always wanted to become an actor. I got admission in college through the ECA (Extracurricular Activities) quota and did English (Hons), something that broadened my horizons since I read some great novels and learnt the art of storytelling. I’m not saying scoring 90% or above is bad, but even if you score less, it’s not the end of the road for you. — Bhanu Uday, film and TV actorI scored 55% in X and 79% in XII. I feel that learning never ends and marks cannot stop a person from learning new things. One must work on developing their overall talent and personality. — Ssharad Malhotra, TV actorI secured 60% in X and 80% in XII. As you leave school and enter college, real life begins. Life is taught less in textbooks and more off it. The only thing you need to learn is to explore, try, fail and get back up. Marks are not everything. — Ridhi Dogra, TV actressI was a Commerce student and scored 76% in Class XII. Over the years, I have seen that cut-offs have gone up and there is greater pressure on students to excel. However, that doesn’t mean that students should go into depression if they fail to score high marks. — Nattasha Singh, TV actressI was never a brilliant student. I scored 66% in X and 72% in XII. My parents were very supportive and never pressured me. I just want to tell students to follow their passion and not to let any exam break them. — Namish Taneja, TV actorI had Commerce with Maths and got 86% in X and 67.5% in XII. — Anuja Chauhan, authorI don’t remember my marks — that’s how important they are. I passed and that’s good enough. I am fiercely opposed to this percentage culture. It’s not an indicator of intelligence or future success. — Advaita Kala, author and scriptwriterI got 48% in X and in 57% in XII. I know the feeling of nosy relatives asking about your marks. Parents need to understand a child’s psyche. — Ripu Daman Handa, winner, MasterChef India 3I was in a boarding school where, at the time, academics weren’t considered cool. So I played a lot of competitive sport and took part in a lot of extracurricular activities. I got 76% without studying at all and after much struggling, got into college through sports quota, but not in the course of my choice. Eventually, I moved to B.Com (Hons) through correspondence, worked hard and got into the University of Oxford MBA programme. And then a few years after the MBA, I threw it all up to become a professional standup comedian! — Papa CJ, Stand-up comedianI got 83% in ICSE Boards and I didn’t do +2 because I was doing Fashion in Class XI, and I did graduation by correspondence — I was 19 when I started working in fashion. My younger son, Jai Sharma, has just finished his ISE and he got 82% in Class X. Today, these marks are considered quite dismal because the cut-offs are 97% or above. Today, if you’re at 80%, it’s like being average. Back then, it was considered pretty good. That’s why we have to send our kids abroad or to vocational colleges. The whole world has changed — it’s like telling students of this age that this is a time you do not pursue creativity. This is a time when you have to score. We’re closing the world on genius or innovation because of this pursuit. — Rina Dhaka, designerFor the latest in Bollywood news, like us on Facebook >>> TOIEntertainFor latest Bollywood updates follow us on Twitter >>> @TOIEntertainFor latest Bollywood updates follow us on G+ >>> The Times of India EntertainmentFor more interesting Bollywood news and pictures follow us on Pinterest>>> timesofindiaWATCH: Vir Das' Message for Kids with Exam results