Flawless new moms, fancy post-pregnancy shoots and dramatic weight loss after delivering the child — such posts on social media seldom tell the real story. Mother of two, actress and wife of cricketer Harbhajan Singh, Geeta Basra nods in affirmative. She says, “Don’t go by what social media shows you. It’s deceptive. What you often see is the final picture, the end product — baby in arms, couple smiling. No one shares the stress behind it so do not put undue pressure on you, if you just had a baby or are struggling to have one. We all are human and none of our lives are as hunky-dory as it may seem on social media.”

Geeta and Harbhajan, who have a daughter, Hinaya Heer Plaha (born in 2016), welcomed their son Jovan in July 2021.

The actress had two miscarriages in the two years before her second pregnancy. “Even for someone like me who maintains a healthy diet and lifestyle, it wasn’t easy. I was struggling to get pregnant,” Geeta says, adding, “I had two miscarriages before Jovan was born and those were traumatic two years. This struggle needs to be spoken about. It happens to many of us, and I want women to know that they aren’t alone in this. I stayed positive. Support is very important. Only a woman can understand what another woman goes through.”

She reinstates both the mother and father have equal responsibility towards the upbringing of a child. She shares, “A working mom raised my two siblings and me. I want to be like that. Raising a child is as much a responsibility of a father as it is of a mother. In the United Kingdom (Geeta was born and raised there), paternity leave is a common thing. In India, many are not even aware that such a thing exists. It’s great that Virat Kohli shed light on this issue. That awareness has to be there. Parenting is collaborative work. Bhajji is changing our son’s diaper as we speak (smiles). He is a hands-on dad, but I have seen men who aren’t as involved in their children’s upbringing as if it isn’t their responsibility and that’s wrong.” 

Virat took paternity leave to be with his wife and Bollywood actor-producer Anushka Sharma for the birth of their daughter Vamika, who was born in January 2021.

She concludes by saying, “Motherhood is rewarding. Every day is an adventure, but you need to give time to yourself, too. Your body undergoes so many changes. It takes a lot of work to keep your fitness levels high and sanity in place. Being active is most important and it helps you in the long run. Yoga has helped me a lot. You should find your own happy space.”

Geeta Basra is ecstatic to become a mother again, this time to a boy. What the actor is even happier with is the fact that her husband, cricketer Harbhajan Singh, was present with her, more than he was the first time she was pregnant.

“He wasn’t there a lot in the first pregnancy. He was playing in IPL. I spent four months in India, and then went to London for the delivery. Bhajji was in and out, and then he came when our daughter Hinaaya was to be delivered,” Basra recalls.

This time around, Singh was present throughout. “He took one month for IPL. But he was very supportive throughout this pregnancy. He was there with me even during labour and held my hand. I didn’t need to do much, just put up my feet and relax,” she adds.

The couple took to social media earlier this month to share the news about the arrival of “Baby Plaha”. Calling it an “overwhelming” feeling, Basra shares that, for the longest time, her family wanted her to have a second child. “The grandparents were overjoyed. But my parents are sad that they could not be here due to the pandemic,” says the 37-year-old actor.

As for the baby’s name, she reveals that she had decided on a boy’s name when she was pregnant with Hinaaya.

While the couple didn’t think about whether it’d be a boy or a girl, the actor shares four-year-old Hinaaya sensed it. “She said it’d be a baby brother,” Basra says, adding that she will announce her son’s name in a few days. She also reveals that Singh is up at night with her to look after the baby, and adds, “He changes the diapers, and I feed the baby. He’s very hands on. It’s important for a woman to have that support.”

Good wishes have been pouring in for Geeta Basra since she announced her second pregnancy. Sharing an image of husband-cricketer Harbhajan Singh, daughter Hinaya Heer Plaha and herself, Basra wrote, “Coming soon.. July 2021”.

Talking about becoming a mum a second time, she says, “It’s different and this pregnancy has been very difficult. Hinaya’s was a smoother ride in terms of eating but this time, it is difficult to eat and I am not craving anything. I was really looking forward to indulging in some good food but maybe in the coming days, things will change.”

The actor states that one can never be prepared enough for this. “You know what’s coming but you also tend to forget a lot of things. You know you will have to go through the whole thing again, so it’s scary. It is overwhelming. During Hinaya’s birth, I was in London, UK, all alone but with this pregnancy, I have a child to focus on. Earlier, the attention was on me but now, Hinaya is the focus. She is excited and is looking forward to being a sister,” says Basra, 37.

Was a second child always the plan? “Yes,” she says, adding, “I didn’t want only one child. A child needs a sibling. Of course, to each their own. I would love to have two kids.”

Being a celebrity parent, she understands that spotlight is inevitable but Basra tries to protect her daughter as much as possible. She shares, “When we would be clicked at airports or asked for autographs, Hinaya would be curious but we didn’t give that too much attention. We want our kids to have a normal childhood. When she gets clicked, she would hide her face as she is shy. We try to keep her away as much as we can.”

She adds Singh is excited about the baby and though she would have loved to go on a holiday before the baby is born, due to Covid-19, that would not be advisable.

The cricketer will play an engineering student in his debut film down South
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; April 22, 2020)

Cricketer Harbhajan Singh, who was seen in a special appearance in the Punjabi movie, Bhaji In Problem (2013), is all set to make his debut in South films with Friendship. In the Tamil film directed by John Paul Raj and Sham Surya, the cricketer essays the role of an engineering student, who hails from Punjab. When we asked Harbhajan, who is in his late 30s, whether he was apprehensive about playing a student on screen, he said, “I think I am fit enough to pass off as a college student, uncleji nahi lagunga.”

Talking about playing a lead role in a Tamil film, he joked, “Let the Khans do Bollywood films, I am happy doing Tamil and Punjabi movies.” On a serious note, he added, “I get immense love from the people of Tamil Nadu as I have played for the Chennai team in the Indian Premier League (IPL). So, the language is not absolutely unknown to me, but yes, I do need a translator on set, who helps me with my scenes. I have also shot a cameo for another Tamil film, which is yet to release.” However, Friendship will be Harbhajan’s first full-fledged film as an actor down South.

Harbhajan is aware that many cricketers have tried their luck in front of the camera in the past, but haven’t been successful. “My wife, Geeta (Basra), told me not to get into films as it’s nothing like the sport that I play. She is right in the sense that acting is not everyone’s cup of tea, but if nothing else, tajurba toh mil hi jayega. For the film Friendship, I shot for two days before the Coronavirus lockdown, and now, around 15-20 days’ work is pending,” he said.

Speaking about how he is testing the waters in the film world, he shared, “I could think of pursuing acting, but it all depends on how I fare in this film. I have also been offered a Punjabi film. For 19 years of my life as a cricketer, I have travelled constantly. Today, I only play in the IPL, which happens once in a year. I have 10 months in the year for myself, so why not do something new?”

Shreya Mukherjee (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 13, 2020)

Surprised that even in such times of crisis “many still have time to find fault in others”, actor Geeta Basra has come out in support of her husband Harbhajan Singh. Ever since the cricketer and his contemporary Yuvraj Singh courted controversy by tweeting in support of Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi’s call for help for those in need during the Coronavirus outbreak, the former has remained tight-lipped about it.

Ask her why, and Basra, 36, explains, “He says he knows what his country means to him and doesn’t want to explain an act done for humanity. He lives for India and will die for India.”

Soon after Harbhajan and Yuvraj’s tweets, #ShameonYuviBhajji was trending on social media. Yuvraj responded to the criticism with a tweet that was retweeted by Harbhajan.

Basra says, “This goodwill gesture was to help Afridi, with whom they have played cricket, and have years of friendship, and he’s trying to do his bit for his country. They tried spreading the word to their fans all over the world. Let’s not bring religion into this. Even the virus isn’t making any discrimination. They would’ve done the same if anyone from any of the other teams like West Indies or England would’ve sought help.”

The celebrity couple has also distributed ration to 5,000 families in Jalandhar, Punjab to help the needy in this time of distress.

Roshna Ali (BOMBAY TIMES; November 29, 2019)

Cricketer Harbhajan Singh and wife, actress Geeta Basra were in Hyderabad for an event recently. They took some time off their packed schedule to regale the team with a few heart-warming nuggets about cricket and films. While talking about their journey as a couple, they touched upon the topic of parenthood and the effect of social media on their lives. Excerpts:

Looks like you did not get your daughter Hinaya along...
Harbhajan: Yes, we both travel a lot on work and we don’t always take her along. Only when we go somewhere for a few days and if there’s a weekend, we take her along with us.

How has parenthood changed the two of you?
Geeta: A lot! Hinaya has changed us in the best way possible. Both of us learned to be more patient, more understanding, and responsible for another person. She is our topmost priority now.
Harbhajan: I feel exactly the same way. No matter how tired I am, I forget all the tiredness the moment I see my daughter. Hinaya has changed me a lot, in every way.

Geeta, how would you rate Bhajji as a husband and a father?
Geeta: Oh, he’s fabulous. He is very hands-on with Hinaya, just like how my dad was with me. Seeing how he’s around Hinaya, I’m often reminded of my father and how he took care of me. I’m sure Hinaya will understand what a great dad she has when she gets older.
Harbhajan: Geeta, what about me as a husband? How much would you rate me out of 10?
Geeta: My husband is fabulous. (Harbhajan throws his arms into the air, showing signs of victory) But I would only give him nine out of 10. There should always be room for improvement, right? The only problem we both face is not having enough time together. Because of our busy schedules, we are together for just a couple of days every month. His work commitments keep him busy around the clock, but we cherish that little time we spend together. But, he is a great husband...very loving and supportive. (Harbhajan starts making faces at her and both start laughing). So nine out of 10 for both, as a father and a husband.
Harbhajan: Not bad at all. That’s a good score.

And Bhajji, how much would you rate Geeta?
Harbhajan: Abhi ye mujhe nau diye hai toh inko nine-and-half dene padenge. Vapas ghar bhi toh jaana hai. (laughs!)

As an inter-faith celebrity couple, the two of you often have to deal with online trolls. For instance, people started questioning Bhajji’s faith as a Sikh after pictures of your Karwa Chauth celebrations went viral recently...
Geeta: Everyone knows that I’m a Hindu, so I have my own customs. Besides, we have been observing these rituals since many years now. The bottomline is, you can’t make everyone happy. I don’t pay too much attention to social media trolls. I don’t think he (Harbhajan) pays any attention to them either.
Harbhajan: Not at all. I don’t even look at it.
Geeta: Exactly! It’s our life and we live it the way we want to. Everybody is sure to have their own thoughts on how to live their life. We both have our faiths and respect each other’s beliefs.

The recent reopening of the Kartarpur corridor was an emotional moment for Sikhs all over India. Bhajji, you made the trip across the border and visited the Gurudwara there. How was the experience?
H: I was very touched. It was my father’s dream to go visit Nankana Saheb. He even made a passport, but he couldn’t go in the end. Jo unka sapna tha, wo mere zariye poora hua. Mujhe lagta hai ki ek bulawa hota hai, jiske bina insaan darshan ke liye nahi jaa sakta. I feel blessed that I got that calling. I went there and got the opportunity to see his resting place.
G: We are now planning to go there together next time. I have never been there.

BOMBAY TIMES (July 29, 2016)

Vinita Chaturvedi (BOMBAY TIMES; June 18, 2016)

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; May 31, 2016)