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.

Baby No. 2 for Esha Deol and businessman-husband Bharat Takhtani
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 22, 2019)

Esha Deol and businessman-husband Bharat Takhtani who became parents to daughter Radhya in October 20, 2017, are now expecting a second child. “Both of us definitely wanted another baby as we grew up with siblings and wanted the same fun company for Radhya. The timing happened by the grace of God,” the actress told Mirror.

When quizzed about how the two families, including her mother Hema Malini and papa Dharmendra have reacted to the news, the mom-to-be laughed, “All the four grandparents are excited, for them the more the merrier.”

Last time around the couple had gone to Greece for a babymoon which included a special photo-session to chronicle this momentous occasion in their lives with some picture-perfect moments to look back on with a smile. Are they planning a similar vacation this time around? “I don’t think I can call it a babymoon the second time around as I can’t go anywhere without my baby. I will take Radhya with me everywhere I go so let’s just call it a family vacation for Bharat, Radhya and me whenever we plan to travel,” Esha pointed out.

The actress recently returned to work, acting in a short film, and taking over from mom Hema as Sita in the dance ballet Ramayan. Will she continue to work on stage and in film after learning that she’s pregnant? “The ballet is still going on as planned. And I will resume my professional commitments after my second child is born, the way I did after Radhya entered our lives. It’s all about balancing work and personal life as I have certain responsibilities as wife and mother while also being passionate about my work,” she reasoned, admitting that she’s being extremely selective about what she takes up at this point in her life. “For now, I’m loving every bit of being a mother hen, inside out.” 

Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; January 20, 2019)

Actor, dancer, wife, mother, parliamentarian and grandmother, Hema Malini has donned many hats over the years. Even at 70, she is raring to go and willing to extend herself as an artiste and a politician. She is the evergreen ‘Dream Girl’ and during a candid chat with BT at her Juhu residence, she talks about her upcoming dance ballet, Ganga, which she is all set to perform at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on January 22 in Varanasi, how she has lived life as it happened to her and about the joy of seeing her grandchildren enjoy themselves when she practises dance at home. Excerpts...

You will be performing the ballet Ganga during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Varanasi. Where did you draw your inspiration for the ballet?
The idea to do a ballet on the Ganga was there in my mind for the last four-five years. It was easier for me to do a ballet based on any of the other religious figures. I did a 12-minute performance with Esha (Deol, daughter) initially. The music for that performance was scored by composer Ravindra Jain. He kept insisting that I should do the longer version of the ballet as well. I couldn’t do it at that time and then, he passed away. I felt very bad and I thought that I wouldn’t be able to do it. However, things fell into place when Ashit Desai came on board to compose the music. And, some eight months back, Sushma ji (Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister) told me that I should stage the ballet on the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. Bhagiratha tried his best to bring Ganga to earth, and I have put in a lot of effort to bring her alive on stage.

What do you aim to convey through this dance performance?
It is a project for the country. When I recently visited Banaras, I realised that Ganga is very clean. That’s a cause I would like to support. Conservation of water is yet another topic that needs to be addressed. In my constituency Mathura, people complain that the water is salty (khara pani). Rivers are polluted, which destroys ground water as well. I can get pumps installed, but what comes out is salt water.

At 70, you will be performing live for close to two hours and you will be suspended from a harness as well. Not many from your generation will try doing that…
It is a contemporary ballet that is set over many yugas. So many artistes are suspended from harnesses during performances. And, if it is for a ballet on Ganga, I better do it. She is descending from the heaven... karenge aur kar ke dikhayenge (laughs!). When I am on stage, I can perform for one-and-a-half hours non-stop, but if I am sitting idle, I feel tired. That’s when you think of all kinds of pain (laughs!). I think it is the mindset.

You are not just an artiste, but also a Lok Sabha MP. What do you want to achieve in the next five years, in the field of dance and politics?
I am not a jyotish to predict that. My whole life has been about accepting whatever happens. I have not created my own path, I live life as it comes. I never wanted to be an actress, but it happened to me and I embraced it. I didn’t want to be a Member of Parliament either, but that too, happened and I did it.

Has Dharam ji (Dharmendra) seen your performances? What has his response been?
He has seen the Yashoda Krishna ballet just because Ahaana (Deol, younger daughter) was in it (laughs!). Once when he saw me in my costume for a ballet, he said, ‘You don’t look like someone who belongs to me. You look like somebody from another world and I am unable to connect with you’. When somebody is possessive about you, they don’t like to see you as anything else. It’s a different feeling, which we cannot express.

Your daughters, Esha and Ahana, are dancers. Do your grandchildren, Darien and Radhya, also show inclination towards the arts?
Ahana’s boy gets excited when he sees me rehearsing. He is already like a big actor. I can see that quality in him. But he is also the son of an intelligent father and might want to go into business as well. Radhya (Esha’s daughter) also wants to dance. If I am dancing, she tries to imitate me. Children do what they see.

Esha Deol speaks about returning from her maternity break to play Sita in an upcoming musical with her mother’s dance troupe
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; September 28, 2018)

Esha Deol returns to the stage with the dance ballet Ramayan. The actor will be performing at the Shanmukhananda Hall tomorrow along with members of mother Hema Malini’s dance troupe, Natyavihar Kalakendra.

Set to play the role of Sita, Deol says, “When you perform after a long gap, there are apprehensions. But, as a dancer, I keep challenging myself.”

A trained classical dancer, the new mother says she likes the hustle and bustle of a dance show. “You have to be in the green room to feel the energy. The show is over an hour long. There are several costume changes. So, backstage, we have to be really quick.”

In March, Deol had participated with Malini in a show in New Delhi, and later, in Mumbai. “That was barely five months after my daughter [Radhya] was born. It was my way of keeping in touch with dance after a maternity break. But, Ramayan sees me in a major role.”

Deol’s tot accompanies her to rehearsals, and will be in the green room during the show. “She is happy to be around the troupe. She seems to be enjoying it. Radhya has rhythm. Hopefully, she will also be interested in dance.”

Mommy dearest is planning an elaborate birthday bash for Radhya, who turns one on October 20.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 7, 2018)

Casually dressed in jeans, hair bunched up in a ponytail and face free of make-up, Esha Deol Takhtani is glowing, showing no signs of stress despite the presence of a six-month-old baby in the house. “Radhya is a happy baby unless forced to do something she doesn’t want to do. She’s very much my daughter and there are times when she gives me that Deol look with one eyebrow raised and I feel that I’m looking at myself in the mirror,” laughs the new mum, admitting that it was only in the first week after her daughter’s birth that she was in a bit of a mess with the baby crying and hordes of visitors stopping by. Now, with a nurse to help her and a strong support system in her mother (Hema Malini), in-laws, sister (Ahana) and cousins, she cherishes her time with Radhya.

Esha and husband Bharat Takhtani took their time after they tied the knot on June 29, 2012, to expand their family. Though madly in love, she admits like any couple they had their teething problems too but sorted them out, travelled the world, had fun before taking their relationship to the next level. Radhya, born five years after their wedding, is a culmination of their love.

“For three months, I kept my pregnancy a secret. When I finally told my mother she said she’d known all along, she was a mother too,” Esha reminisces, adding emotionally that dad Dharmendra was like a teary teddy bear as he rushed into her hospital room to meet Radhya, born last year on October 20. “For a long time she was supposed to arrive on my birthday, November 2, but eventually came a day after Diwali much to Bharat’s relief as he didn’t want another Scorpio in his life. Now, there are three Librans — my mother, husband and daughter — to balance me out,” she smiles.

2017 will forever be one of the best years of Esha’s life. Bharat, who like her, has enrolled in the Oneness University, which believes it’s important for the child’s well-being to keep an expectant mother happy through nine months, was attentive to her every whim and patient with her mood swings. “He even matched my growing appetite and put on a few kilos. But now we’re both back in shape,” shares Esha who since January has been working out religiously, training with weights to tone up and alternating it with callistics while on a vegan diet.

She admits that it’s not easy shedding weight after a baby but points out that she’s always been an athlete and a dancer and was careful not to go overboard during her pregnancy. “My mother says your post-natal body is at its most flexible and can be shaped at will. I have to work out as I can’t go on stage or face the camera with a big belly, I need a small waist for that,” smiles Esha who has returned to acting with a short film and is playing Sita in the dance ballet Ramayan, a legacy passed down to her by her mother, hoping one day Radhya too will take Indian mythology and culture forward. “At the moment she sits on the sofa and watches me during rehearsals, the way I’d watch my mother as a child. That’s how I know every ballet by heart but it’s still a huge responsibility playing Sita, the ideal wife and mother. I was unnerved when I saw my in-laws in the audience at the first performance at Iskcon as they weren’t expected. But it went well and now the role comes with a ‘feel good’ factor. Thanks to my mother-in-law (Pooja Takhtani), I’ve learnt to be a good wife, mother and homemaker. I know what’s happening in the kitchen and where Bharat’s particular shirt is,” she says proudly.

That doesn’t mean she’s bid goodbye to her acting career. She’s open to good roles but the adrenaline rush of the early years, when she was working from 6 am to 11 pm, is gone. Now, there’s a man and baby to come home to. Getting back to her baby, who came up with the name Radhya? “I did, just days before her birth. After going through several name books and not finding anything appropriate, one night, just before Diwali, I suggested Radhana, tweaking it to Radhya, which sounded perfect to both Bharat and me,” Esha beams, adding that she’d recommend having kids to every couple once they are ready.

Kids? Is she thinking of another child? “Both Bharat and I have siblings so I definitely want Radhya to have one too. But not too soon, when the time is right,” she signs off.

Upala KBR (MID-DAY; March 13, 2018)

After her marriage to Bharat Takhtani, and motherhood, Esha Deol Takhtani is ready to return to her other love — movies. The actor will make her comeback after seven years with a short film, Cakewalk. Helmed by debutant Ram Kamal Mukherjee, the film will see Deol slip into the role of a chef.

Deol says she chose the film for its “strong message”. “Cakewalk is a subject that intrigued me purely on the basis of its content. It has a strong message, but one that is subtly conveyed in the narrative. When Ram Kamal narrated the story to me, I knew he would be the best person to tell it visually.”

A former journalist, Mukherjee previously worked with Pritish and Rangita Nandy on 12 movies, and co- produced the television series, Bin Kuch Kahe, last year. About making his debut as director, Mukherjee says, “I always wanted to tell a story, but I was waiting for the right opportunity. I wanted to work with someone who has faith in my vision.”

For her chef act, Deol will pick up tips from a chef friend before the film goes on floors in Kolkata. “Considering my best friend Shilarna Vaze is a celebrated chef, I will be speaking to her before we shoot.”

While she is happy to face the cameras once again, Deol is in no rush to sign movies because she is enjoying motherhood. “Radhya [her daughter] is my first priority. She is my little fairy; I cannot describe our bond,” she says, adding that she agreed to be part of this film because it wouldn’t keep her away from Radhya for long.

MUMBAI MIRROR (October 24, 2017)

On Monday morning, actress-Parliamentarian Hema Malini’s Juhu bungalow was adorned with pink flowers to welcome daughter Esha Deol and son-in-law Bharat Takhtani’s baby girl, who arrived into the world on October 20.

According to a muhurat, the new parents, colour-coordinated in shades of grey, exited the hospital at around 11.30 am and headed to the grandmother’s residence, where arrangements had been made for a small pooja according to Tamil rituals.

The parents have decided on a name for their little angel, Radhya Takhtani.