He played against Italian football club, AC Milan’s under-19 team, on their Mumbai visit as part of Festa Italiana. Shukla has described himself as a very athletic child, and represented his school in tennis and football. Xavier's High School, Fort, Mumbai and holds a bachelor's degree in Interior Design from Rachana Sansad School of Interior Design. He lost his father because of a lung disease during his modelling days. Sidharth Shukla was born on 12 December 1980 into a Hindu family in Bombay (present-day Mumbai) to Ashok Shukla, a civil engineer employed at the Reserve Bank of India and Rita Shukla, a homemaker.
Life and career 1980–2007: Early life and career beginnings