In Shriya Saran’s words, she was a “bohemian” spirit, calling different parts of the world her home. If she spent her formative years in Haridwar, her subsequent years brought her to Mumbai. The actor felt equally at home in Spain, where she moved after tying the knot with Russian beau Andrei Koscheev in April 2018. But motherhood brings with it unexpected pangs. After giving birth to daughter Radha in January 2021, Saran felt an urge to return to her roots in Mumbai.

“It was almost an overnight decision after Radha’s birth. Before she was born, I was a bohemian, gallivanting from one place to another with Andrei. The Coronavirus pandemic changed a lot of things for us, as it did for most people. I needed family, a home to come back to,” she smiles.

When in Spain, Saran was initially happy to take things slow on the work front. But the artiste in her soon started missing the frenetic pace of shoots. A month after Radha’s birth in January 2021, Jeethu Joseph’s Drishyam 2 dropped online. That set the ball rolling on the Hindi sequel, which would star her alongside Ajay Devgn and Tabu. Radha was seven-and-a-half months old when Saran started prepping to get back to work.

“Andrei used to take care of her while I would go for my yoga and workouts. We first stayed in Madrid, then Barcelona. When I wanted to return to acting, Andrei supported me. He decided to move to Mumbai and start his import-export business here.”

 The couple, who returned to the city in the second half of 2021, first stayed in Bandra, then moved to Lokhandwala, where her parents stay. “I needed my mom’s help. If she has to go out, and Andrei has his meetings, I stay with Radha. Plus, COVID has been hard. So, it’s great to have your family around.” 

How has Koscheev adapted to the change? “He loves challenges. He was excited about moving to Mumbai. He loves that I am independent, and always encourages me.” What does he say about her performances? “He loves the Drishyam franchise. He cried a little after watching Tadka,” shares Saran, who has Kannada film Kabzaa, and the Telugu movie, Music School, in the pipeline.