Actor Jim Sarbh has opened up about how his formative years in the suburbs of Sydney in the 1990s shaped his outlook on life, nature, and technology — remarks that come as he promotes his upcoming OTT series 'Made in India: A Titan Story'.

A Suburban Sydney Childhood

Sarbh, who moved to Sydney in 1991, recalled growing up not in the city proper but in a far-flung suburb — a setting he describes as distinctly unhurried. 'I lived in the suburbs of Sydney, not even the city of Sydney, not in an apartment but in an old school suburban house. Now the suburb was like far out of the main city. So it wasn't expensive. All the kids in the area went to the public school. It was really a very simple and lovely childhood because there was a park up the road. You had a backyard. Everyone had backyards. You could go to anybody's house and play outside,' he said.

Nature at the Doorstep

The actor painted a vivid picture of wildlife that was simply part of everyday life. 'Our backyard would be full of cockatoos. If we threw discarded food on a rock, a kookaburra would come and eat it. You could walk and see wombats,' he recalled. Sarbh was emphatic that such an upbringing carries lasting value: 'I really honestly believe that's the way a kid should grow up. If you have the opportunity of taking your kids outside of a city and giving them a more natural kind of upbringing, I think it's just the best thing for you.'

Even Then, the Television Had Its Pull

Despite the idyllic outdoor setting, Sarbh admitted he was far from immune to the lure of screens. He recalled his mother returning hours later to find him still fixed to the television — not watching cartoons, but the news or weather. 'I was just obsessed with the television and what was going on,' he said. He also acknowledged that had modern technology been available to him as a child, he would have found ways to use it: 'If I had access to all of that technology, he would have used it, and would have found sneaky ways to use it.'

The Context: 'Made in India: A Titan Story'

The conversation arose during promotional interviews for 'Made in India: A Titan Story', a show set in pre-liberalised India. Given that backdrop, Sarbh was reflecting on what growing up in the 1990s — before smartphones and always-on connectivity — actually felt like. The series is expected to stream on an OTT platform, though a release date has not been officially announced. Notably, Sarbh's reflections on childhood simplicity and nature carry an understated resonance with the show's own pre-digital setting.