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.

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.”