SUSHMITA Pati is the artistic director of Kala The Arts, a dance company based at Basingstoke College of Technology in Worting Road, Basingstoke.

She has been working in Hampshire since 1994, pioneering the introduction, development and sustenance of South Asian dance practice in the county.

Kala specialises in South Asian arts and regular classes in Indian classical dance and music are held locally.

Sushmita works with the company as a dancer, choreographer and as its mentor.

An international Odissi dancer, she started her dance career in India.

She introduced Odissi to the UK in the late 1980s and was the first Odissi teacher at London’s Bhavan Centre.

1. Who was your childhood hero and why? Amitabh Bachchan. I used to love his films.

2. What is your most precious possession and why is it important to you? My first Odissi dance costume as it was reminds me of my training with my Gurus in India and my first performance abroad – in Kathmandu, Nepal.

3. What was the first record/CD you bought? Disco Deewane by Nazir and Zohaib Hassan.

4. What is the radio/television show you hate to miss? Jodha Akbar.

5. What is your favourite film? Devdas.

6. What is your pet hate? People pronouncing my name incorrectly.

7. What are you reading at the moment? The Odissi Girl by Donovan Roebert.

8. If you were choosing a last meal, what would it be? Spicy dahl and vegetables.

9. If you could meet anyone from history, who would it be? Emperor Shah Jahan who created the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife.

10. If you had a time machine where would it take you? To the future.

11. If you were stranded on a desert island what luxury would you choose to have with you? My iPad.

12. What sports team do you support? Netball Surrey Storm.

13. What was your first job? Dancer/community facilitator with Academy of Indian Dance in London, now known at Akademi.

14. If you could take over someone’s job for the day, whose job would you choose? Darcy Bussell.

15. What worries you the most? Prejudice.

16. What is your proudest moment? Celebrating the birth of our daughter with my husband.

17. What would you like your epitaph to be? No clues sorry!

18. What’s your guilty pleasure? Sleeping late.

19. What one thing could change society for the better? Arts and culture in schools, communities, being part of everyday life.

20. What three words best describe you? Creative, honest and hardworking.