In the two years since Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal got married, the couple has given us glimpses into their lives — from their intimate wedding to their vacations and their funny reels. But this time around, Sonakshi has revealed what went down before that. Appearing on Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi’s chat show Double Date, the actor opened up about one of the most emotional moments of her life when she told her father, veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha, that she wanted to marry Iqbal.

Sonakshi recalled that despite being certain about her relationship with Iqbal, she was terrified of breaking the news to her father.

She recounted, “I was really scared to tell my dad. One day, I went to him and said, ‘I love this guy and want to marry him’. He asked me his name and what he does for a living. Then he suddenly said, ‘Haan, maine dekha tha newspaper mein’. I was surprised and asked him whether my mom (Poonam Sinha) hadn’t told him. I had told my mom two years earlier that I was dating Zaheer, and had asked her to tell my dad. But it took me two years to tell him myself.”

She further shared that after her parents spent time with the couple and witnessed their bond, their apprehensions disappeared. Sonakshi added, “My heart broke a little when dad told me, ‘Why did you wait so long? Mujhe bataya kyun nahin?’”

Known for their love for sports, Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi were in for a treat in Melbourne, where they witnessed the clash between tennis greats Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open. After the thrilling final, Neha met Djokovic.

An ecstatic Neha says, “I have been a die-hard Djokovic fan. I was screaming his name the whole time and rooting for him. We usually watch these games on TV, but watching the final live is a completely different experience. Even when the house was divided, it was united in its love for tennis. Both players had incredible support — people took sides but truly honoured the game and each player’s contribution. There was pin-drop silence during the match; you could actually hear the ball bouncing. I wasn’t sure if Djokovic would make it to the finals, but he did, and I got to witness it.”

Recalling her encounter with the tennis champ, Neha shares, “We were a group of 20 walking towards the centre court at Rod Laver Arena after the match when Djokovic happened to be walking out. For the first few seconds, I was speechless. I wasn’t sure whether to approach him. He had played exceptionally well but hadn’t won the trophy and looked exhausted. But I finally told him, ‘I’m not giving you a choice, you have to click a photograph,’ and he was so gracious. I told him we were from India and that this was a bucket-list moment for me. I was overwhelmed and thrilled.”

She adds, “This experience was extra special because I’m an avid tennis watcher and my entire family follows sports. My dad was thrilled that I got to witness this. Swedish legend Stefan Edberg was seated right behind us, while Rafael Nadal was in the front. It was surreal. I’m honestly falling short of words to describe how I felt... like a bumbling teenager. That definitely checked off a major item on my bucket list.”

Perfect Family appealed to the mother in Neha Dhupia before it did to the actor in her. She plays a therapist in the Gulshan Devaiah and Girija Oak-led series about a family that seeks therapy after the youngest member, a child, suffers anxiety.

“It wasn’t like I wanted to play a therapist. But when I started reading the script, I couldn’t put it down,” says Dhupia.

The series’ theme of parenting and mental health resonated with the actor, who is a mother to two kids, Mehr and Guriq. “When you have kids, you think everything you are doing is for them. So, you believe you can’t ever go wrong. But what is actually happening to the child? That’s such a huge conversation today. Mental health and AQI are the only two things mothers talk about.”

If on screen, she helps a family learn healthier ways to communicate, off it, husband Angad Bedi and she have their own ground rules to build a healthy home for their kids. Gender roles, she says, is the first norm they’re teaching their kids to challenge.

“We don’t look at anything as a girl or guy’s job. Recently, at home, my daughter asked me, ‘Mumma, what are you doing now?’ When I replied that I’m sitting with her, she asked, ‘You’re not going to work?’ So, it’s not tuned in her mind that I will sit at home and Papa will go to work. For meals, I lay the table and Angad picks the plates up. It’s the little things [that matter].”

Two red lines on a test kit and a blood test confirmed that she was pregnant. Nine months later, she became a mother. Somewhere in between, she married the father of her child — but the world didn’t make it easy. After the last season of Freedom to Feed, actor and host Neha Dhupia faced backlash, with listeners targeting her personal life and criticizing her for getting pregnant before marriage.

When she found out she was expecting, she decided to tie the knot with her partner. Recalling the moment, she said, “I married Angad [Bedi, actor-husband], and after six months we welcomed our daughter [Mehr]. But the biggest conversation around our wedding was, ‘How did the baby come in six months? Ye ho kaise gaya?’”

Knowing she wasn’t the first woman to be scrutinized, Dhupia dismissed the commentary with humour. “Even now, I see stories and tags on female actors who get pregnant before marriage. I feel, at least, I’m on the same list as Neena Gupta and Alia Bhatt. But honestly, this is ridiculous,” she raged.

She added that no one had the right to dictate, question, or assume when a person should marry or have a baby. “Pregnancy is beautiful, and that’s it!” The criticism became the fuel behind her decision to launch Freedom to Feed, a platform that champions open, stigma-free conversations around motherhood.

Reflecting on her own journey into motherhood, Dhupia said she felt women needed a safe space to talk about pregnancy, breastfeeding, postpartum recovery, and “every challenge that comes with it.”

She added, “We need to normalize discussions around women’s health instead of treating them as taboo. [I wanted] to spread awareness, break myths, and remind women they are not alone in this journey. These subjects should not be swept under the rug. If I’m being trolled for talking about things that affect half the population, then so be it. I’m not going to stop.”

"My father always wanted me to run. I was this podgy little boy. I was not very athletic as a child. He wanted me to be fast on the field when he would coach me in cricket. Der aaye durust aaye. I want to do it for myself, yes, but if you really ask me, I want to do it for him. I thought to myself, if Farhan Akhtar could get into the body and mind of an athlete in his late 30s, I can give it a go, too."

Despite losing his father, legendary cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi recently, Angad Bedi is keeping the promise he made to himself.

He is all set to make his international debut as a sprinter in a 400-meter race at an athletics championship in Dubai, on October 29. The love for sprinting isn’t sudden, he states, and this is the best way he could honour the legacy of his father and his dedication to sports.

In an exclusive conversation with Bombay Times, he stated, “My father always said keep your head down and let your actions speak. I have been deeply inspired by his wisdom. I’m competing in this race because that’s what my father would have wanted. It’s my way of honouring him and his legacy. Sportsmanship is in my blood. And I want to do exactly what my father would have expected of me. I want to participate in this race to honour him and the values that he has instilled in me during his wonderful life. He will always be there with me as my guiding light.”

Taking up sports professionally in your late 30s or 40s isn’t a cakewalk. The actor admits, “Living the life of an athlete is living the life of a monk. The transformation is not easy when you have been an actor all your life. Everything matters. Your sleep, diet, recovery, rehab and rest. It’s an extremely demanding sport, but I love the need for speed. It makes you think faster and keeps you on your feet and agile. Also makes you look better on camera! (smiles).”

Angad shared a personal story. He acknowledged, “Farhan Akhtar inspired me. I remember seeing him train relentlessly to essay the role of Milkha Singh in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. I saw his videos online to see how he trained and what he ate. To see an actor turn into an athlete… I couldn’t get that image out of my head. I thought to myself, if Farhan could get into the body and mind of an athlete in his late 30s, I can give it a go, too. After training me for over a year, my coach told me that I could take part in a 400-metre race, which I did last April. I timed 66 seconds. I am in better shape right now and much faster than my previous best. Today, I will get to know how I fare.”

Sometimes, an unspoken heartfelt wish finds its way to realisation. To Angad Bedi, Ghoomer is that realisation. The actor, who plays a supportive partner to Saiyami Kher in the sports drama, recalls how he did a cameo in Gauri Shinde’s Dear Zindagi (2016), hoping it would catch the attention of her filmmaker-husband R Balki.

“Gauri Shinde said I should do Dear Zindagi because people would see me in a different light from how they saw me in Pink [2016]. I said yes because somewhere I thought that Balki sir might notice me. In 2022, when he offered me Ghoomer, I asked him if he wanted to test me for the role. He refused, saying, ‘I don’t need to because I remember that scene you did in Dear Zindagi.’ My one scene stayed with him for six years,” the actor beams.

Balki’s upcoming directorial venture also stars Shabana Azmi and Abhishek Bachchan. What makes Ghoomer even more special is that it gave Bedi a chance to explore the genre of romance.

“In romance, less is more. Your eyes, body language and actions [convey] a lot more than dialogues. Balki sir said, ‘You are in that phase of life where you are selfless, as you have a family now. I want that selfless energy for this character.’”

That the project united him with his friend Kher was a delight. “Saiyami was my first friend in the film industry. We started our careers together. We feel happy for each other on the signing of a new film, and look out for one another. We also bond over cricket.”

This year saw action films featuring big stars, including Ayushmann Khurrana’s Anek, John Abraham’s Attack, Akshay Kumar’s Bachchhan Paandey and Ranbir Kapoor’s Shamshera, tank at the box office. When we ask experts on what’s wrong and how this can affect the future of the genre, the opinion is varied. Trade analyst Atul Mohan feels, “If a movie is good, it will work, irrespective of the genre. We don’t lack anywhere when it comes to the final product, but maybe, we lack in storytelling compared to films from the South. They tell stories rooted in their culture. But, Bollywood movies have lost their way.”

Actor Angad Bedi, who has featured in action films such as Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) and Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020), says, “We have Pathaan releasing next year and (actor) Salman Khan’s Tiger Zinda Hai 3. I love action films.”

Action director Sham Kaushal says Bollywood has “witnessed a drastic change post Covid-19”. “People refrained from going to theatres in the first half of 2022. The fraternity will get back on its feet and things are positive now.” Having wrapped up the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Dunki, Kaushal adds, “Nobody can predict how a film is going to work. But action movies will always be part of Bollywood.”

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh feels if a few action films don’t work at the box office, it doesn’t mean the future of the genre is in danger. “It (success or failure of a film) all depends on the merit. Let us not blame a genre for it. These are mere phases.”

Action director Ejaz Gulab feels “filmmakers have started roping in a lot of action directors from Hollywood” and that’s not working: “The makers execute only what is told, hence their work lacks the Indian flavour.”

Bedi adds, “We also have great action masters. Hollywood action masters are good for their techniques. But there is a personality that suits Indian people and that can only come from Indian action masters.”

In March, Angad Bedi was roped in opposite Sanya Malhotra for the Hindi adaptation of the acclaimed Malayalam film, 'The Great Indian Kitchen' (2021). The actor was to step into the shoes of Suraj Venjaramoodu to play a patriarchal husband who expects his wife to be submissive and confined to the kitchen. However, the latest on the remake’s front is that Bedi has exited the project due to date issues.

If things had gone as initially planned, the actor would have joined the second schedule of Arati Kadav’s directorial venture in January. “It is a great script, and Angad wanted to be a part of the film. He had started prepping for the role. But the dates clashed with those of his yet-untitled love story opposite Barkha Singh. Since he had already committed to the Jio Studios’ production, the actor decided to honour it and pulled out of the remake,” says a source.

While Bedi is shooting for the love story in Delhi, Kadav has locked a new face to keep 'The Great Indian Kitchen' remake’s shooting schedule on track. The Malayalam original, starring Nimisha Sajayan as a new bride, was widely praised for its feminist theme.

A departure from the heavy-duty roles in films like Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020) and Inside Edge (2017) and Pink (2016) leads Angad Bedi toward his first film as a lead opposite Barkha Singh. The duo is pairing up for an “intense love story” backed by Jio Studios, which recently produced the Varun Dhawan-led werewolf comedy, Bhediya.

“Angad and Barkha have already started shooting for the film in Delhi. It will be interesting to see their onscreen chemistry,” informs a source, adding, “The first schedule of the romantic drama is 45 days-long.”

The yet-untitled film helmed by Karan Darra, who previously directed the Gurmeet Choudhary-starrer Khamoshiyan (2015), features Bedi as a lawyer and Singh—of Maja Maa fame—as his intern in the law firm.

When Amazon Mini TV revealed its new slate last week, the one film that caught everyone’s attention was 'The List'. Through the lead couple, essayed by Kirti Kulhari and Angad Bedi, writer-director Gaurav Dave shows how we function in a mundane and almost mechanical loop of daily chores and duties, reducing our life to a to-do list. Kulhari remembers how the short film’s title caught her off-guard.

“When I saw it was called 'The List', I did not know what to expect. The film, in an interesting way, talks about the monotony of our lives. Do we create our own to-do lists or are we run by the conditioning we go through from the time we are born? The film explores the philosophy of free will versus by-design. It discusses life, existence and humanity,” says the actor.

She was bowled over by how the satire explored the theme of consumerism and its effect on modern living. “I liked the way the film talks about our world of technology and consumerism. It almost seems as if the solution to all our problems is shopping. It’s taking us away from ourselves, and when that happens, you are bound to lose connection with others.”

To further his idea of how human beings have become programmed by society, Dave adopted a fascinating treatment for the September 22 offering. The leading lady elaborates, “The characters don’t speak a word till the film’s climax. They are robotic. As an actor, it was interesting to be part of something where I don’t have to emote. All the life that we put into roles was taken away [when essaying] this character.”

Neha Dhupia makes a strong case when asserting that the narrative around post-pregnancy weight needs re-evaluation. Pointing out that it’s never appropriate to discuss weight-related matters with women who have recently delivered, Dhupia says, “Post pregnancy, you need to have the right kind of diet. There is so much pressure on women [to lose weight]. Also, those in the limelight have made the mistake of [creating this image] for other women who have just given birth. Giving birth, breast feeding, and dealing with the postpartum body is [challenging]. When you’re in the public eye, and promote [the notion of losing weight too soon], it has a trickle-down effect for other women who have recently delivered. So, stop talking about how much you have lost.”

In a bid to lose weight, Dhupia followed a nutritious diet, while being in a calorie deficit. “After giving birth the first time, I lost 25 kilos, but then became pregnant again. Now, as I resume training, I feel fitter than I ever have. I don’t think I could walk endlessly in my 20s or 30s. Today, I can carry both my kids in my arms and walk for hours. That has happened because I fuelled my body correctly [while losing my post-partum weight].”

However, it took the actor a while to understand that she needed to reassess her routine. Admitting that she did not feel as physically adept as she desired for a while, she decided to “do something about it”. “For me, that realization happened after 10 months, but if another woman decides to do it after 18 months, that’s also alright. You will realize that you perhaps want to run as fast as your toddler does, and then decide to get fitter, and that is alright. For me, it was as simple as wanting to be fit enough to carry both my kids for long hours, and picking up stuff from the ground without needing to put them down. Post pregnancy, the two things that I learnt were that a large part of [losing post-pregnancy weight] is not about eating less, but changing the kind of food you eat to consume a more nutritious diet. Also, during this time, people focus on yoga, but, apart from that, working on the muscles of the core, and strength training are two factors that really helped me.”

Dhupia’s athletic background introduced her to a gamut of sports, early on in her life. During childhood, she would wake up early to cycle to school each day, and would actively participate in sports like basketball and swimming. Her weekends involved outdoor activities like trekking and jogging. And it was only when she began a career in the industry that she began to hit the gym. “At the time, there was no concept of [different body types]. Everyone had to have the same shape, which was ‘thin’. I achieved that without starving myself, but by staying fit. People say the influence of food and exercise on an ideal fitness plan is in the ratio 70 to 30. I reversed that, because I enjoyed exercising. In my 20s, I learnt new things, like pilates, and kick-boxing, which made my body stronger. In my 30s, I took to running, and ran several marathons.”

Individuals who’ve spent decades on a fitness journey could often point to instances that redefined their approach to their regimen. For Dhupia, learning to run marathons rather late in life (in her 30s) was that turning point. “I have trained with one of the finest runners, Brinston Miranda. My yoga trainer is someone who has trained from the Benaras school. So, all my trainers are knowledgeable, and traditional in their approach. I like to follow the orthodox methods of training. Running is a pretty [cohesive] format. To pull off a marathon, you need to stretch well, and focus on rehab. You also need to train your core to be able to pull off 22 kilometres, and also cover an average of 35 kilometres a week. I have travelled to so many parts of the world, and [while on holiday] love to wake up early, and head for a run.”

Angad and I are extremely mindful of our diet. We don’t have sugar, and masala, and have minimal salt. Snacks include fruits or makhana, or cookies made without gluten. There is enough protein in our diet. He has a cheat day, but I don’t need one now.

For the first time, Neha Dhupia broke her rule recently and introduced her kids — Mehr (3) and Guriq (nine months old) — to the public. But the actor indicated that it (keeping her kids in the public glare) wasn’t a permanent thing. To celebrate 20 years of being crowned at a beauty pageant, Dhupia was accompanied by her kids and husband, actor Angad Bedi, on stage. “I think it is still one glimpse and go. I am in a phase where I want to keep them under wraps and protect them. It was just one special moment on stage, which was really important to me. I would have never thought that I would be recrowned after 20 years,” she says.

The 41-year-old adds that she wanted her children to be a part of her special day. “I thought to myself that many years from now, there might come a day when they would ask me, ‘What were we doing? Wasn’t it special for us?’ It was a mixed feeling,” shares the Sanak (2021) actor, adding, “I did break my own rule. But I think that this occasion was way too special.”

However, Dhupia admits that she was nervous about “exposing” her children: “I have complete respect for people who do. But I will go back to my notorious ways of hiding their faces. It was just a moment of joy, and not an indulgence or a promise that they will forever be on social media.”

Dhupia embarked on a journey in the Hindi film industry in 2003 with Qayamat: City Under Threat. She’s done films like Chup Chup Ke (2006), Shootout At Lokhandwala (2007), Tumhari Sulu (2017), Helicopter Eela (2018) and A Thursday, among others, in the last 20 years. Today, she juggles multiple roles in reel and real life, from being an actor and a producer, to a wife and mother.

Talking about her two-decade-long journey in the entertainment industry, Dhupia says, “If I look back at the entire journey, it has been great. I have paved my own path and place. There have been ups and downs. I made some new friends and lost touch with a few. It is impossible for me to sum up the past 20 years, but I can say it has been an adventure,” ends the actor.

Filmmaker R Balki appears to be bringing together an eclectic cast for his next, tentatively titled Ghoomer. While Abhishek Bachchan fronts the film, it is now heard that Angad Bedi — who played pivotal roles in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020) and Inside Edge — has been roped in for the project, which also stars Shabana Azmi and Saiyami Kher. 

A source says that Bedi was in talks with the ad man-turned-filmmaker for a while. Over the past few weeks, he was spotted on several occasions outside Balki’s office as they locked the details of the project. “Angad is a fan of Balki’s unconventional stories, and has long wanted to work with him. The team kicked off the shoot on leading man Abhishek’s birthday on February 5.

Interestingly, the film reunites Abhishek with Saiyami after Breathe 2 [2020]. The actors have bonded over workshops and readings, and their easy camaraderie will reflect on camera. Angad plays a crucial role and will join the shoot soon,” reveals the source. 

Meanwhile, rumours are rife that Bedi will play the lead in the Hindi remake of The Great Indian Kitchen (2021).

For the past three months, fans have been speculating on the name of actors Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi’s son. And she has finally let the cat out of the bag exclusively for us, revealing that they call him Guriq Singh Dhupia Bedi. “We are happy and extremely proud that we attached both our surnames to our son and daughter’s (Mehr) names. There you go! Now you know what we call him,” Dhupia tells us. 

Opening up about the meaning of the name, she explains, “Guriq means one with God, one from God, and saviour of the world. It is a different name, and we love it. Even the spelling is beautiful and unusual. The credit for the name goes to the mother [me], and the credit for the spelling goes to the father [Angad].” Guriq is the couple’s second child, born in October last year.

“We are glad that we zeroed in on Guriq, because we love the sound of it. He (her son) also reacts beautifully to the name. He is just three months old, and now he recognises sounds,” shares the 41-year-old actor. 

For the parents, he might be Guriq, but for Mehr, he is her “Koala brother”. “Before the delivery, when we were preparing Mehr that she would soon have a baby sister or a baby brother, she suddenly started calling the baby Koala. Even now, she calls him that. We love it because she stuck by the original, and we came up with the name much later,” Dhupia ends with a laugh.

As Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif’s wedding celebrations started with a bang in Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan on Tuesday night, the couple’s family and friends were seen arriving at the destination the day before.

The couple travelled to Jaipur via a charter flight. On landing, Katrina and Vicky were escorted out of the airport through an exit gate reserved for VVIPs, as well as the Prime Minister and President, and permission for using which is given by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security in rare cases. The couple had reportedly wanted to travel by helicopter from Mumbai to Sawai Madhopur, but the local administration did not give them the desired permission to use the helipad.

Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi along with Kabir Khan and Mini Mathur were among the guests who arrived in Jaipur yesterday morning. Also seen at the airport were filmmaker Vijay Krishna Acharya and Sharvari Wagh, who is rumoured to be Vicky’s brother Sunny Kaushal’s girlfriend.

The couple’s sangeet ceremony reportedly took place on Tuesday night, which will be followed by a haldi ceremony today, before they tie the knot, ‘Rajwada’ style, tomorrow.

Punjabi singer Gurdaas Mann, a close friend of the Kaushals, is also expected to be present for the nuptials – the white wedding and the traditional Punjabi wedding ceremonies.

Neha Dhupia and her husband Angad Bedi welcomed their second child, a baby boy, two weeks ago. The actress is loving this phase, but slowly wants to get back to her normal routine. However, with two kids now at home, it’s not easy, she says. A few days after delivery, Neha got back to work and shot for two projects from her home. In a chat with Bombay Times, she talks about balancing work and personal life and how her experiences from her first pregnancy are helping her keep postpartum stress at bay. Excerpts:

Our baby boy was due for arrival on October 7, but he arrived on October 3. He was in a rush I guess as he came in a few days earlier! Some experienced people had told me that having a second child would be more hectic than when you have just one. I didn’t understand what they meant then, but now I do. With two babies to take care of, everything has to be at double the speed now. There is no time left for yourself as when one kid sleeps, the other wakes up. Breastfeeding is another ball game altogether as you do it after every three hours. So ideally, I am feeding my baby throughout the day and night after every three hours. The toughest bit is the night as whenever I am about to sleep he wakes up and I feed him again.

Mehr just knows that there’s a little baby that has arrived in the house. A couple of days ago, she took her brother in her lap. As a kid, she just sways between being caring towards him, but at the same time being naughty. The other day he was fast asleep in his cot when she just came in and screamed out loud and woke him up. As parents, we had decided that from the time the new baby arrives we would give a lot of our attention to Mehr. That’s because at their age they wonder why the two people who loved them with all their heart are actually dividing time between them and the other person. So, we are very conscious about not letting her feel misplaced at all. Though eventually, I know we will be divided into teams…two against two. I have a feeling it will be Angad and Mehr versus me and our little baby boy. Angad and Mehr are inseparable. When Mehr doesn’t see Angad at home for a long time, she literally behaves like a fish out of water.

On the ninth day, after Mehr was born, I was back at work. This time around, I returned to work on the sixth day after the delivery. Yes, I already did two shoots at home. With the little baby around, it was a must for the team to do their COVID tests and only then do they step into my house. I personally feel that if you want a break then it is important to have one as recovery is very important. Childbirth takes a lot out of you. It is not easy. So, my advice is you give yourself time to recover. It’s just that I am extremely fond of what I do and I wanted to get back to work as soon as possible. Options like work from home have proven to be such a blessing in today’s day and age. I have worked hard over the years and there’s a long way to go. I feel like my entire career has been about being relevant at all times — neither being extremely successful nor being invisible.

I am still getting used to breastfeeding at night; it can get rather lonely as you are waking up when everyone is sleeping. Postpartum depression is something I still don’t see enough women or new mums talking about. I think people should reach out to others on this subject. Anything can trigger it... like when you see your body post-delivery, you just feel so hollow. Things like breastfeeding through the night or not being able to sleep or not knowing what to do when you have a crying baby in your arms... these are the things I am aware of now, and so I am not letting them upset me. My experiences are being my own saviors. Very consciously, I talk to myself and not let myself slip into it. Right now, I am holding up well and being absolutely fine. Getting back to your routine sooner makes it much easier. Appreciating yourself as a mother is very important and I feel every new mum should do this. When you see yourself in the mirror, just appreciate your body that has given life and don’t be hard on yourself. So whether you have stitches or stretch marks or a few extra inches… own it, because what you have done, nobody else can do.

Mehr already has a cute little nickname for him, which I am not going to share right now (laughs!). As far as the parents are concerned, there’s been a constant battle between us; both Angad and I have come up with a name each. He is just too unaccommodating with my choice of name! So, may the best name win! As a family, we are just looking at having an appropriate name for the boy. Mehr, too, got her name very naturally and organically. At the end of every message, her grandfather (Angad’s dad) would write Guru Mehar Kare and that’s how we picked up Mehr as her name. Meanwhile, Angad and I had a good time doing up the room for our little boy. The décor comprises hot air balloons, little fox and bunnies. We have a Simba carpet as Mehr is obsessed with the character. Her cot is right next to her little brother’s.

Angad Bedi and Neha Dhupia welcomed their second child, a baby boy, on Sunday, October 3. Neha, who was working throughout her pregnancy, was still going in and out of dubbing suites two days before her delivery. Angad, on the other hand, had wrapped up shoots to be by his wife’s side. The proud parents took to social media to announce the arrival of their son, whose name they are yet to figure.

Talking to BT about the arrival of the new family member, Angad says, “Things are hectic, but they’re good. It’s so overwhelming! As second-time parents, you may know the drill, and you know how it is going to go, but there is always an ounce of nervousness and those butterflies in the tummy. We are a complete family now — a daughter who we love to the moon and back and an adorable son. We’re fortunate to be blessed with two healthy children. I have to admit, my wife went through so much in the last three-four years. The entire process of bearing a child itself is so demanding. A woman’s body goes through so many changes; there are mental and emotional situations that arise and one has to be strong to go through it with a smile. I am proud to say that Neha is a very strong woman. I am blessed to have a warrior as my wife.”

 Neha and Angad have been hands-on parents to their daughter Mehr, who turns three years old this November. Talking about his daughter, Angad says, “Neha was completely in control of Mehr’s schedule even in her third trimester. In fact, while she’s in the hospital, she has given me a detailed routine for Mehr for the next seven days, including studies, play dates and so on. I’m home with my girl, and I’m following that. When we were expecting Mehr, we had made a nursery that was leaned towards the girl child, but this time, we have kept it neutral in shade, with softer colours and an animal theme.”

The Gunjan Saxena actor says that they made a conscious attempt to ensure that Mehr’s choices were also taken into consideration while planning the nursery for their new baby. Angad shares, “As parents, we are conscious of the fact that while paying attention to the newborn, we have to ensure that she’s equally attended to. We also want Mehr to learn and understand the dynamics of having a sibling. She already feels like the big sister. It’s a big responsibility to raise two kids without making either feel less important. And it’s best when kids grow up in each other’s company. Mehr will be sharing her space with her sibling, so keeping her likes in mind was just as important as making the newborn comfortable. She has always been fond of animals and hence, the theme. We don’t want her to feel that she’s not the apple of our eyes. She always will be that for our entire family.”

Neha is expected to be discharged from the hospital in the next few days. While her mother is by her side, Angad’s parents are expected to fly down in November, closer to Mehr’s birthday. Bring this up, and Angad says, “I came to Mumbai to make a career, but this city gave me that and a loving family. It was my dad’s 75th birthday on September 25. There was a chance the baby could have been born on that day, but it didn’t happen. He has a jhalak of his dadaji. Each time I see him, I feel like I am looking at my dad’s miniature version — Little Bishan Singh Bedi!”

The couple is yet to decide on a name for the tiny tot. “We haven’t decided on a name yet,” says Angad, adding, “I would have loved to name our son Bishan Singh Bedi Jr, but that name comes with such a tremendous amount of responsibility and pressure. I dealt with it when I wanted to be an actor and people expected me to be a cricketer. To fill my dad’s shoes is a big responsibility and I do hope that my son can carry his grandfather’s legacy forward. My dad is ecstatic to have a grandson. He played a big part in naming our daughter; hopefully, he can do that for our son, too. We want him to spend time with both the children because that joy is unparalleled.”