‘MY FIRST CHILDREN’S DAY WITH JUNIOR DHAR!’

In her first interview as a mum, actor Yami Gautam Dhar opens up about the newest member of her family, her son Vedavid aka Junior Dhar
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 14, 2024)

Actor Yami Gautam Dhar, who welcomed her son Vedavid with husband, director and screenwriter Aditya Dhar on May 10, feels “giving birth to a child can feel like giving birth to yourself”. On her first Children’s Day with Vedavid, she gushes about his role in her life, and the meaning behind his name.

‘I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE I AM A MUM’
Even though motherhood has been life-altering for her, Yami shares how she’s still getting used to this phase of her life. “I still don’t believe that I am a mum! Especially when I have to refer to Vedavid as ‘my son’ while I am talking to someone,” the 35-year-old shares.

Recounting her experience of giving birth, she adds, “When I came back home from the hospital, I just took a moment and sat next to Aditya. I remember I told him, ‘I don’t know how to explain this, but it feels like my life before this moment is nothing but a blur.’ This is no exaggeration. Everything — psychologically, emotionally, physically — changes in one moment.”

IT’S ALL IN THE NAME
Vedavid is a unique name, we point out. Ask if there’s a special meaning behind the name and Yami shares, “It is one of the names of Lord Vishnu and also Lord Shiva. It also refers to the one who knows all the Vedas. [So] there’s a lot of pressure on him! (laughs).”

She continues, “[But] every day I come up with a new nickname for him. Although, the one which has stuck with us is JD or Junior Dhar. My brother Ojas came up with it while we were watching a film during my pregnancy. I liked the name so much that we’ve kept it. At that time, everyone asked, ‘What if it’s a girl?’ and I responded that we’d still call her JD,” she chuckles.

Yami Gautam Dhar has always kept details of her life private. And now, this extends to her son, six-month-old Vedavid. “It’s a conscious decision,” she tells us about the decision to shield her son from the shutterbugs.

“Of course, we (she and husband, director Aditya Dhar) are public figures. But it’s a personal choice; the whole idea is to be protective of your child. Of course, the curiosity is understandable. But it’s like Pandora’s box. Once you open it, there’s no looking back or controlling it. Getting pictures clicked does affect a kid’s psychology,” she adds.

‘Thank God for my mum’
The 35-year-old also confesses that no amount of reading manuals or books can prepare one for motherhood. “You’re literally learning every day. The more you spend time, the more your baby teaches you. I try not to open the internet for everything there is.”

The actor also credits mum Anjali for helping her navigate this new phase. “Thank God for mothers! [My mum] is such a hands-on mother. I keep saying every day ‘I don’t know what I would do if it was not for my mummy’,” Yami shares.

‘Aditya is a hands-on dad’
Yami is also all praise for Aditya, who has been making time for daddy duties, despite a busy schedule. “Aditya is in the middle of his own shoot. But whenever he gets time, he comes to meet us; the baby feels the happiness,” she says.

Elaborating on the bond between father and son, Yami gushes, “He is a hands-on father, a burp expert, and Vedavid loves him. The moment he spots Aditya, he lights up! He feels so shy, then suddenly jumps on him even before you know it.”