Esha Deol explains how her mother Hema Malini and she were able to dance together for a TV fest in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 21, 2020)

Hema Malini and daughter Esha Deol are all set to give Bappa a virtual welcome with a classical dance performance at Star Parivaar Ganeshotsav 2020. This is the first time the duo has collaborated after the birth of Esha’s second daughter Miraya in June last year. “Even after (elder daughter) Radhya was born, I took just five months to get back to dancing. This time, it was a chance for me to learn something new and also see if I could fit into my costume after two babies,” she laughs, admitting she did.

And how was it performing with her mother again? “Wonderful, though this time all our rehearsals were happening over video calls, so it was pretty different,” says Esha, quick to add that even though they were not together physically, with the other dancers around them, they were in perfect sync. “After several days of rehearsals, the camera team came and shot our performance at home with just the two of us. The background dancers performed separately on the studio set.” Their performance was superimposed digitally on the editing table.

For Esha, dance is the spiritual connection between her mother and her and she already sees her young daughters carrying the tradition forward. “Mom and I would rehearse around 4 pm in our salwarkurtas and Radhya would be ready before us, in the same attire, with the dupatta tied in exactly the same way. She is eager to learn dance and during every rehearsal she was doing her own thing. As for Miraya, she can already recite the classical taal. In our family, there is no escaping dancing,” she acknowledges, confident that very soon, she will be dancing with her daughters.

Meanwhile, she commutes constantly between Bandra and Juhu to be with her mother during the pandemic. “I am keeping a strict eye on her, like the police,” she laughs, adding that her daughters and sister Ahana’s son Darien make for great company.

As told to Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 17, 2020)

With kids around, self-distancing is easier and entertaining. It’s a big house and with limited household help keeping it clean is not easy. We are all multitasking. I’m bathing the pets, watering plants and cooking, which I enjoy. Bharat (Takhtani, businessman-husband) chips in with his bit. We have set a routine for the day and ticking off all the tasks keeps us occupied.

In the mornings, we take the kids (daughters Radhya and Miraya) to spend time in the jacuzzi, followed by a painting/sculpting session, then, lunch and a nap. Evenings we take a stroll in the garden, then the girls play with their dolls, kitchen sets or the piano till it’s dinner time. At night, I read them stories, and chat with Radhya who loves to talk before sleeping.

The kids are very happy to have their father around because otherwise they only see him early in the morning and then, at night. Radhya keeps demanding to meet her friends. Luckily, some of them live right down the street, so we take her to the terrace and she waves out to them. She also wants to meet her uncles and grandparents, who are in Bandra. But that isn’t possible as we haven’t stepped out of the house since the Coronavirus lockdown.

I like to stock up, so, I’m not facing a shortage of supplies, like diapers and soaps etc for 10-month-old Miraya. She has home-cooked food, so that is not a worry either. I am enjoying this return to the simpler times. It reminds me of my childhood when we could just enjoy each other’s company without the pressure of doing something together. I am a dreamer and now, with no rushing around, I can let my mind wander. When the lockdown ends, it’s important to not rush out of our homes to celebrate. We will just take a joyride in our car, around the vicinity, to see how things are before venturing out for fun.

Esha Deol, who became a mother for the second time on June 10, reveals meaning of her girl’s name and how the family is celebrating
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 12, 2019)

Esha Deol and Bharat Takhtani, who welcomed daughter Radhya in October 2017, have become proud parents of another baby girl. On June 10, the couple’s second child, baby girl Miraya, was born at a suburban hospital under the supervision of their family gynaecologist, Dr Kiran Coelho.

According to Esha, the baby’s name is connected to her big sister’s. “When Lord Krishna worships Radha, it’s called Radhya, while Miraya means a devotee of Lord Krishna. Both the girls have that in common and I love how Radhya and Miraya sound together,” gushes the new mom, who got her actress-mother Hema Malini to take out 10 days from her busy schedule to be with the family.

Esha goes on to add that both sets of grandparents are over the moon with the new arrival as “for them it’s more the merrier with grandchildren”. “Celebrations had begun the moment we learnt that I was expecting. And the closer you get to the due date, the excitement in the house increases. Now, my sister (Ahana) and sisters-in-law will decorate the house,” she says.

She is overjoyed to welcome another girl into her family. Explaining the upside of having two kids, Esha says, “My sister and I shared a room for a long time, and so did my husband and his younger brother. We are going to get the girls to share the nursery that Noorien (Jumani, interior designer) had designed for us earlier. Now, she has tweaked the interiors to make room for Miraya. The girls are going to share a lot of things, from doll houses to clothes. We are also getting a play room ready.”

And how has Radhya responded to her baby sister? “The day she figured out that my stomach was getting bigger, we told her about the baby and she had been excited about it ever since. I am sure she will be a wonderful elder sister,” Esha signs off.