Ready for drama school?

Her husband shares a rare friendship with Narendra Modi - Paresh Rawal is in fact now going to play the lead role in a biopic based on the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate - but actress Swaroop Sampat has apparently won the admiration of the Gujarat Chief Minister for something that isn't even remotely connected to films. Missing for a while now (some of us may remember her from the wildly popular TV series Ye Jo Hai Zindagi which first aired in the 80's), the former beauty queen made a rare appearance as the chief guest for a Bonsai and Ikebana exhibition held by students of Jamnabai Narsee School. We hear that ever she completed her PhD in 'The role of drama in enhancing life skills in children' (she's Dr Swaroop Rawal now), she's been visiting various schools across Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat to introduce a special curriculum she has devised. "Kids who would refuse to come to school now force their teachers to teach them in this form because they find it very interesting and intriguing. Even my tests are taken through drama," she smiled. Apparently her customised teaching module has now also been adopted by UNICEF for its campaigns which is increasingly finding its way into the remotest parts of the country. "From adivasis to child labourers, my manual is an ideal life-skills guide about how to deal with various situations in life," says Sampat. Which is probably why Modi fondly calls her 'Gujarat's masterji'.