It's known that Bollywood actor Sagarika Ghatge who shot to fame through her debut film Chak De! India has her roots in Kolhapur. The actor, who was born in the city, says, "I was born in Kolhapur as my father Vijaysinh is closely related to the royal family of Kolhapur. We have our house here and my uncles and their families are settled in Kolhapur. We also own some farms here which my dad takes care of. But I have lived in the city for a very brief period and most of it has been at a very young age as I shifted to a boarding school in Ajmer, Rajasthan around the age of eight."

Sagarika says that the fact that her parents and relatives were based in the city kept her connected to her roots. "During school, I would look forward to the holidays in Kolhapur as that would mean spending time with my parents and cousins. My mother would dish out mutton delicacies everyday which I would relish. Dinners at my cousin's places, going to eat at the famous Solanki cocktail ice cream and visiting the Panhala hill station was something I always looked forward to. And another big attraction for me was an opportunity to meet my grand mom whom I am very close to.

Even though I have shifted my base to Mumbai, I make sure that I attend all the major festivals and family functions in Kolhapur," adds Sagarika. Talking about what she loved about the city Sagarika adds, "I love the fact that the city is like a huge community and hasn't been touched by commercialization. It gives me the luxury of staying in a spacious house where I can sit in my garden with a cup of tea in the evening. So though Mumbai is where I stay, Kolhapur will always be my home."