Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; February 11, 2019)

A few days ago, her social media post with her baby bump brought her right back in the headlines. Between 2002 and 2013, Sameera Reddy had made a splash on the big screen with her impressive dance moves, glam image and a fit bod. The actress, who has been part of films like Musafir (2004) and Race (2008), stepped out of the spotlight soon after she got married in 2014. Not one to share every minute of her personal life on social media, she has been relishing her time away from public glare. Now, she lives in a cosy home, tucked in the bylanes of Bandra, and is a hands-on mommy to her three-year-old son, Hans. Over to Sameera, who is expecting her second child and is eager to make a comeback in the movies in the near future. Excerpts:

Your post on a photo-sharing site announced your second pregnancy. You’ve preferred to stay away from the public eye ever since you got married. How do you feel about this drastic change from being a celebrity to being off the grid, completely?
I’m enjoying it. Right after I got married, I had a tough pregnancy and that made me go into a shell. My insecurities became too big and I grew quiet. I stopped stepping out, because I feared that people will judge me. It became stressful to be in the public eye at that time. One part of my heart wanted to come back to the movies right after Hans was born, but the other part didn’t want to. In fact, gradually, I started enjoying my time away from the spotlight. I started leading a normal life. This time around, the pregnancy has been a lot easier on me. It’s joyous and I feel sexy about myself. I am so happy to be out there. This should be the way to deal with such a beautiful phase of your life. That’s why I decided to step out and flaunt my bump.

Kareena Kapoor Khan was the trendsetter in this regard. She flaunted her pregnancy, worked throughout and chose to bounce back immediately after child birth. Even Neha Dhupia did that...
The difference is that people are more accepting of these things now. Kareena and Neha have stepped out and done whatever they wanted to do when they were carrying their babies and people appreciated it. Now, even weight gain due to pregnancy is being accepted and presented beautifully. Of course, there are people who don’t miss a chance to fat-shame a woman, but more power to all the women who step out in style. Today, even pregnant women are considered to be sexy.

The mindset has gradually changed in recent times, but do you think during your first pregnancy, you were nervous and conscious because of the general perception people have about women in showbiz going the family way and to top it, the fear of facing body shame?
Yeah! I was all nerves when I was having my first baby. I was freshly out of show business, but I was still caught up being who I had been for so many years. I felt major FOMO (fear of missing out). The thought that people will judge me for the way I look, refused to leave my mind when I was pregnant and even after I delivered. Now, when I look back, I think I was being silly. This is the industry I chose and it is human nature to judge. Yes, it was my first brush with the experience of being a mother and going through so many changes in my body. I couldn’t cater to the image of being an actress. Maybe, I was not fully prepared to be a mother, but it feels good to see how things have changed now.

Recently, Neha Dhupia was fat-shamed on social media and she retaliated to shut the trolls up. Looking back, do you think that you, too, should have spoken out?
It upsets me to see people fat-shame a woman who has just delivered a baby. It’s in bad taste. Everyone’s mother has been through the same drill. This needs to change right away. I went quiet after my first pregnancy, because of these reasons. I suffered post-partum depression because my physical appearance went through such a change. I had this imaginary gun to my head that actresses are supposed to bounce back and look a certain way. My body didn’t allow me to do that. The harder I tried, the tougher it got. It was supposed to be the most joyous period of my life and I was battling this emotional upheaval. I was torn between loving my son and feeling lost as a woman, who was completely out of shape. It’s a mistake to have not spoken out at that time. It’s brave on Neha’s part to speak her mind and shut people up. The time that a woman takes to regain fitness after childbirth is her business alone.

The second time around, you must be better prepared and it is probably a smoother ride...
Oh, it’s unbelievably exciting. I feel so comfortable dressing up this time around. My confidence is back. My son has conversations with the baby bump. I am at peace with myself. Also, I have had a long break from films, so I am out of the bubble that I once lived in.

Do you miss being in front of the camera?
It was a conscious decision to turn down work when I got married, because I can’t be in and out of two things. I am either in or completely out. I’m amazed to see so many working mothers around me, who balance work and babies so well. For me, Raveena Tandon is a great inspiration. I actually used to be around Raveena a lot when she had her two babies. I loved how she stepped away from everything and returned to work only when she was ready for it. To a degree, even Kajol has done that. It resonated with me, because I can’t do both things; I didn’t have the strength of a working mother. Now, when I come back to work, I will be in it completely. Yes, it won’t happen immediately. It will take about two years, but I will come back. There are so many different avenues today, that actresses will never be short of options. For now, I just want to start stepping out. I want to come across as what I am — a normal woman who makes mistakes like everyone else. The difference is that I was an air-head when I was in my elements those days. I used to have someone doing everything for me. Today, I feel more in control. I can run my life and family without any frills. I was a weak person before, but today, I am more aware and independent. For instance, I don’t have a battery of nannies to run after my baby. I do it myself. It’s a great feeling to be empowered.

Was it ever a huge dilemma to leave film sets for playschools?
It’s the best therapy in the world. My skin is clear without any creams and I get sound sleep. Sometimes, I wonder about the kind of pressure I took upon myself back then. My husband is still shocked about my switch. All the pressure and anxiety vanished when I decided to choose motherhood over films. I owed no one an answer. If I come back now, it will be on my terms, take it or leave it.