Motherhood has become the cornerstone of Shriya Saran’s life. Speaking about how her daughter Radha’s arrival has enriched every aspect of her life with beau, Russian tennis player Andrei Koscheev, whom she married in 2018, she explains, “I feel blessed that she chose me to be her mother. Each day with her is magical and miraculous. I can’t believe she’s already three years old.”

The actress talks to us about her support system and how she balances motherhood and ‘me time’.

Shriya believes motherhood empowers her to navigate her career with renewed focus and dedication, whether she is setting the runway on fire or delivering stellar performances on screen. However, she emphasizes that for any woman to have a successful career while being a mom, it’s essential to receive help, respect for her work, and immense support from family.

“Being a mom is a huge responsibility; it truly takes a village to raise a child. I’m fortunate to have Andrei, my parents, grandparents, and particularly Radha’s babushka (grandmother) helping me when I have hectic schedules. Their support is invaluable. And they have all played a big part in shaping the person Radha is becoming. I think every mother needs that help and understanding,” she says.

However, amidst juggling work and motherhood, it is important for mommies to carve out time for themselves she says.

“I make it a point to have some ‘me time’,” she explains. Shriya balances her busy schedule with self-care, indulging in activities like dancing and reading, often joined by her enthusiastic daughter.

“I am enjoying dressing up more now; my style has evolved ever since I became a mom. I make it a point to have some ‘me time’,” she explains, adding, “I love dancing, reading, and indulging in quality screen time. However, Radha often joins me in my dance, gym, and yoga classes, adding joy to whatever I do.”

Shriya Saran’s mornings begin with dosa, so it was only fitting that we take her out for a south Indian lunch. Since she likes her dosa piping hot, she has requested that the order be placed only five minutes prior to her arrival. “My daughter is also obsessed with dosa and idli, and she calls it idi!” gushes Saran, munching on her paper masala dosa.

The Drishyam actor, who eats “five green dosas made with green dal every morning”, feels “the dosa could become the next big thing from India”. “It’s gluten-free, and can be made in a health-conscious way, with oats and millets. You can practically make dosa out of anything, even pumpkin! For instance, I put beetroot in dosa,” she says.

We’re in a Mumbai cafe, but the 41-year-old says her favourite dosa is not one from any restaurant. “It’s the one I get to have at my friends’ houses, no matter where I am in the country. At my friends’ places, the chutney is ground in mortar and pestle. Using dry masala and coconut milk ensures it’s all very fresh. I also love the small roadside places,” she says.

Emphasizing the versatility of the dish, Saran adds, “This delicacy has travelled to different parts of India that have made it their own. What you eat in Hyderabad is different, Chennai is completely different. I am currently obsessed with Mysore masala dosa.”

We are seeing tantrums these days. I find that telling stories really works. If you preach or tell children ‘no, don’t do this’, they will not understand, but stories work. I just make up random tales about animals. For example, I talk about an elephant and bananas and about how the doctor came. It may make no sense, but they get distracted and go into that world. I notice if you ask the child, “Will you be happy if that happened to you?”, it does not help, but if you say, “What if the elephant did it differently, wouldn’t it be nicer?” then it kind of works.

I try to come home as early as I can so I can spend time with her. I tell stories, take her for long walks. When we are not working, we take her to a farm on weekends to keep her connected to nature.

That’s a tough question because I think one prepares you for the other role. I’m a better person when I am with Radha. My experience with her makes me a better actor. I think life prepares you to be a better actor. And when you do good work, your soul is satisfied, you’re happy inside and that prepares you to be a better mom. I feel we all need passions and we all need something that we love doing. So, whatever it is that makes your soul happy, you need to do that.

I think the toughest part of parenting is trying to match up to our own parents. I feel like that generation of parents were like Mother Teresa; they were way too giving. We are a little more self-centred. Our parents did so much for us, but they didn’t tell us what problems they had. They never spoke about time balance issues or health problems; they just went on and on with their job. They made sure they came home early and spent time with us. My dad taught me cycling, and my mom took me to dance classes. When I was very young (17), we moved to Delhi so I could learn dance from Sovana Narayan. They didn’t speak about these sacrifices. Also, as parents today, we’re very aware. This inability to disconnect is tough too. I feel a little bit of ignorance is bliss.

I’ll give you a simple example. When I was a kid, I couldn’t understand the difference between E and A so I was very scared to learn a new language. But still, I went on to do films in four different languages. The languages which were not mine, I learnt or understood before the films or at least memorized the lines. When I saw ‘Taare Zameen Par’, I realized that there is a situation when you don’t know left and right, you can’t differentiate between certain letters or that it is called dyslexia. I had no idea I had it. But at that time, there weren’t so many counsellors and not so many people were aware so you didn’t really know. But now that you know, sometimes, I think it’s good to not know.

The joy your baby gives you, the hugs and love you get when you come home. It is unmatched.

When I am away, Andrei takes over or my mom. I have a great support system with my mom, my mom-in-law and my dad and I am very grateful to them. As an actress, you need a lot of help. A lot of heroes now acknowledge and are very grateful to their wives for managing the show when they are not there.

His upbringing is very similar to mine. His mother was a history teacher and his dad was an engineer. My dad too was an engineer and my mother, a teacher. It helps to have that similarity. Our value systems are the same. Of course, we do have clashes and differences but we find a middle path. Like he does not understand the practice of mundan (head shaving) and why we do it. But otherwise, he has really taken to our culture. He has turned vegetarian. We go to the temple together. He understands the different cultures in India. We have named our daughter Radha which means something in both languages. ‘Radha’ means ‘happy’ in old Russian. We want Radha to be part of both cultures. Radha goes for a Russian class and she loves sports just like her dad. I am going to introduce her to dance very soon. She speaks brilliant Hindi; better than most people I know. She speaks English and Russian too. And, she was born in Spain, so we want her to know Spanish as well. We want her to be fluent in at least four languages.

It was a difficult time. There was a lockdown and there was no help. We were in Barcelona. My mom came for two months but after that, for the next five months, we were completely on our own. There were times when you get up and you are feeling very low. It happens. There’s a huge change because your body was preparing to create this human and nurture that human. You are carrying the baby and suddenly it’s not there with you. So, your hormonal balance is very different. All that happened but I didn’t have time to even think. Breastfeeding is very, very important, but people don’t tell you that it is very difficult. It hurts; it is painful. And I was diagnosed with Covid-19 when Radha was seven months old. I had to stay away from her for two weeks. That was very difficult for me. I couldn’t stop crying.

Yeah…that happened to a lot of women who had Covid. Suddenly, you had to stop breastfeeding. It's super painful. That year was hard. I had time maybe to cry for like five minutes and then I had to get up and cook to make sure there’s food for us and for our child. It’s not easy. If I was cooking, Andrei was making milk. If Andrei was cooking, I had to give her a bath. One does have emotional issues and all of that. But I think the best way to get over it is to listen to a lot of music. Recognize that your body is going through a lot and let it be. Let it go.

To be honest, a woman’s job is a woman’s job. As much as we say it’s equal, all of that doesn't happen. Andrei surely does much more than a lot of other men I know. He actually dedicated the entire year after Radha’s birth to her care. We were like a team and took care of her all by ourselves. We were very grateful for that time (in Barcelona) because it really got us connected to Radha. Now, we try to spend as much time with her as we can. We also constantly have these arguments and conversations because I feel Andrei should spend more time with Radha. He does try but it is hard. His work is very demanding too.

I think Andrei sometimes becomes a super softie. And then I fight with him and I get really pissed with him. But of late, we have agreed to be a team. So whatever one says, the other parent says the same. Unless one of us is saying something that is really out of the context or makes no sense at all. And that happens. Sometimes, I say things that really make no sense at all (laughs). So, we do check each other when required.

She is more attached to me. Andrei travels from Andheri to Thane for work so he is away for 16 hours a day. And when I am shooting, I’m not there at all. But she understands. She's very smart. When I am away, she goes to Andrei. When he is away, she goes to my mom or dad. When they are not around either, she goes to the nanny.

We do have a set schedule for meals and Radha sleeps by 9 pm. I try to avoid sugar and as of now, she does not watch cartoons. I want to not let her watch TV for a long time. It is a struggle. When you are in the car, an hour seems difficult to pass and the next hour seems even more difficult. But after that, kids figure out what to do. They start counting the cars outside. They start tracking the traffic signal. It is a challenge but one manages.

My doctor didn’t allow me to check my weight. He didn’t want me to get conscious and worried because being an actress you anyway tend to be very weight conscious. But I continued yoga and kathak (she is an accomplished dancer) through the pregnancy.

I ate a lot of good food. Initially, I was very homesick. My mom somehow managed to send garam masala to Barcelona despite the lockdown. And I got obsessed with south Indian food. I wanted to eat dosa every day. I learned how to make dosa for myself. It was a lovely time in my life. But by the time I delivered, I had put on 20 kilos.

It was not easy. The shoot for ‘Drishyam 2’ was starting and then I was doing another film, ‘Kabzaa’, so I had to lose weight fast. I dropped 15 kgs in seven months. After that, the last five kilos were the hardest. Dance and yoga really helped me.

Every experience helps. I think as an actor, what you see and observe around you also helps. It’s a mixture of both.

It’s a process. It’s not easy. You keep doing it. You keep telling them and they learn. I want Radha to be someone who is friendly, happy, giving, forgiving, loving and kind. And most of all, someone who's hard working.

From exploring enchanting international destinations to immersing herself in the diverse cultures of India, Shriya Saran has consistently set remarkable travel goals over the years. Recently, the actor celebrates her 40th birthday in Kerala along with her family, as she wanted her toddler to soak up the rich tapestry of Indian culture.

“I made the choice of visiting Kovallam with my daughter to let her experience the serene environment. Also, my husband, Andrei Koscheev, had a strong desire to visit Kerala. While we spent limited time there, it was an absolutely amazing experience,” she says, adding, “We were in awe of the caves and the beaches that surrounded us. We also made a thrilling road trip to Kabini, where we savoured the flavours of Karnataka cuisine. The place offered authentic delicacies that were different from our usual culinary experiences.”

The Drishyam 2 (2022) actor and her husband want their daughter Radha to explore as many wonders of India as possible.

“I want my two-year-old to visit the Ellora Caves (Maharashtra) and other remarkable places. We still have a plethora of unexplored destinations in the eastern part of India, such as Darjeeling (West Bengal) and Assam. And I’m eager to take my daughter and husband to Hampi (Karnataka) and show them the rich culture, food and temples of Chettinad as well,” Saran says.

The RRR (2022) actor took the initiative to introduce her daughter to travel at a very young age by visiting Russia when she was just seven months old.

“It breaks the monotony of being confined to the familiarity of home. Just like Radha developed a fondness for pasta during her time in Italy, she has also discovered her taste preferences through our adventures. While exploring different cuisines during our travels, she sometimes finds them delightful, while other times they fail to impress her,” Saran added.

She believes planning a vacation with kids needs careful planning, especially when choosing the right destination. “It should align with their interests and preferences. There’s no point in taking them to a place where they won’t enjoy or cherish the experiences, as those moments will fade away from their memories. However, if you introduce them to an intriguing place where they can revel in the joy of just being there, they will undoubtedly develop a plethora of skills and create lasting memories,” she concludes.

Shriya Saran turns 40 today and doesn’t want to be hush-hush about it. She’s embracing her age as she believes it’s no longer a hindrance for female actors in the industry. “I’m entering the 40-year club today. While we need to be healthier and fitter, I don’t think age matters,” the actor says, adding, “In my head, I don’t feel 40. In fact, I feel like I am 18, because I have that kind of energy and also with [regard to] the work that I am getting to do nowadays”.

She credits this forward thinking to actors Kajol and Kareena Kapoor Khan, who have broken the glass ceiling for other female actors. “They have opened up things for us and we followed in their path. Kajol didn’t give a s**t about the world; she got married when she wanted to, had a kid and returned [to work] when she wanted to. Kareena worked all throughout her pregnancies. I didn’t have the guts [to do that] when I was pregnant. They’ve shown another level of confidence and I respect that,” says the Kabzaa actor.

While Saran is still big on birthday celebrations, becoming a mother has given her a new perspective: “I’ve realised my birthday is a day [of celebration for] my mother. I wanted to do something special for my parents, but since my father underwent knee surgery, I will do it later on.”

“I will be travelling a lot for my birthday. I will be going to Kovalam with my daughter Radha and husband Andrei Koscheev, who hasn’t been to Kerala. Later, I want to go to Maldives and Kashmir as well.”

In Shriya Saran’s words, she was a “bohemian” spirit, calling different parts of the world her home. If she spent her formative years in Haridwar, her subsequent years brought her to Mumbai. The actor felt equally at home in Spain, where she moved after tying the knot with Russian beau Andrei Koscheev in April 2018. But motherhood brings with it unexpected pangs. After giving birth to daughter Radha in January 2021, Saran felt an urge to return to her roots in Mumbai.

“It was almost an overnight decision after Radha’s birth. Before she was born, I was a bohemian, gallivanting from one place to another with Andrei. The Coronavirus pandemic changed a lot of things for us, as it did for most people. I needed family, a home to come back to,” she smiles.

When in Spain, Saran was initially happy to take things slow on the work front. But the artiste in her soon started missing the frenetic pace of shoots. A month after Radha’s birth in January 2021, Jeethu Joseph’s Drishyam 2 dropped online. That set the ball rolling on the Hindi sequel, which would star her alongside Ajay Devgn and Tabu. Radha was seven-and-a-half months old when Saran started prepping to get back to work.

“Andrei used to take care of her while I would go for my yoga and workouts. We first stayed in Madrid, then Barcelona. When I wanted to return to acting, Andrei supported me. He decided to move to Mumbai and start his import-export business here.”

 The couple, who returned to the city in the second half of 2021, first stayed in Bandra, then moved to Lokhandwala, where her parents stay. “I needed my mom’s help. If she has to go out, and Andrei has his meetings, I stay with Radha. Plus, COVID has been hard. So, it’s great to have your family around.” 

How has Koscheev adapted to the change? “He loves challenges. He was excited about moving to Mumbai. He loves that I am independent, and always encourages me.” What does he say about her performances? “He loves the Drishyam franchise. He cried a little after watching Tadka,” shares Saran, who has Kannada film Kabzaa, and the Telugu movie, Music School, in the pipeline.

Last seen together in a blockbuster (RRR) that took the global audience by storm, Shriya Saran is back with Ajay Devgn in Drishyam 2 as his wife, Nandini Salgaonkar. She married Russian entrepreneur Andrei Koscheev in 2018 and welcomed their first child, Radha Saran Koscheev, who was born in Barcelona last year. In an interview with Bombay Times, the actress talks about sharing screen space with Ajay and Tabu in Drishyam 2, her return to Mumbai, her gypsy soul finding an anchor in her daughter and the changing culture of films. Read on…

Director Abhishek Pathak has pushed the envelope further this time around. It’s a strong character and though she is helpless, she wants to protect the family. It’s a well-written character that you can relate to, and the scenes are extremely intense… I would say even more than the previous film. I know the crux of the story, but I haven’t watched the Malayalam original. I think it’s better to approach a different language adaptation as a standalone film, as it has its own style and treatment.

Ajay doesn’t talk much, he is a man of few words and gives you enough room to react as an actor. Maintaining that longevity as an actor for decades isn’t easy and he has achieved that. He acts, has directed and produced films… it’s inspiring to work with someone who is constantly reinventing and growing. I love to work with Tabu as well. She is so easy to talk to and is involved in every scene.

It was very random. We met on a boat in the Maldives and there was an instant connect. We both love travelling, are self-made and started working from a young age. His mom’s a teacher and dad’s an engineer, we had similar upbringing and background. We knew it might work. From the time we met, we travelled everywhere together for a year, and then our parents suggested we get married. We got married a year later on the same day that we had met for the first time (April 19).

Of course, you need to explain a few things, but there’s a lot of beauty in diversity. I didn’t tell him that he doesn’t need to fast for Karva Chauth, he only found out this year that he didn’t need to (laughs). He has been fasting with me before that. He loves rajma chawal, roti sabji and ghar ka khaana over restaurant food. He is completely Indian now.

We are based in Mumbai now as my work really got intense. He is quite funny and he loves the paps. For a Halloween bash, we were both dressed as Mumbai cops, and he enjoyed it. He kisses me when someone’s taking a picture because it’s cute. He is still learning the cultural differences as to how it’s not common for people to kiss in public here. He knew that I was an actor before he came here, but he didn’t know that I was a known face. He is not overwhelmed by the shutterbugs at all. I think my baby loves the cameras as well.

It has taught me a lot. Yes, our lives have changed. We had a bohemian lifestyle, where we wouldn’t follow a set pattern. After marriage, we decided to go to Spain out of nowhere because we wanted to learn a new language or start a business. For some reason, that didn’t happen, so we went to South America instead and lived there for months. I would head back to India for my films and then go to London, we were constantly on the go. During the pandemic, our daughter was born, and our lives are drastically different now. She is like an anchorin our lives, and every life-changing experience makes you a better actor

The moment your child is born and you hold your baby, your heart is no longer yours. It changes you forever. Becoming a mother was beautiful, and I wanted to get back to work for her. I wanted her to know that I am a working mom and have always been a hard-working woman. Also, getting back wasn’t easy. I had to shed all my post-pregnancy weight and get back into shape within seven months. It was extremely hard, but the toughest was to leave her at home and go to work. I want the best for her, but I also want her to see who I am. The first time I travelled for work without her, I couldn’t sleep at night. You constantly ask yourself if you are doing the right thing. Perhaps, I am more serious about my work now because when she sees my films, I want her to say, ‘Mamma, that was great. I am happy you did this.’ She is 22 months old and says ‘Bye’ when I leave and hugs me when I return. I want her to be a child who sees that you need to work hard for the things you want.

For someone who has spent nearly two decades in showbiz, with the spotlight on her almost always, Shriya Saran is a strange paradox. She loves the limelight, sure. But she’s also a very private person who’s fiercely protective about her personal life. No wonder she managed to keep the news of the birth of her baby girl, Radha, a secret for a good 10 months. Despite seemingly living out her life on social media through the lockdown, Shriya had given no indication whatsoever of being pregnant or having delivered a child. How did she manage that, we asked. And she spilled the beans.

Excerpts from an exclusive chat with Shriya and her husband, Andrei Koscheev, on everything from the joys of parenthood to why they wanted to go through the process of pregnancy away from the limelight.

Shriya: It feels great! But it’s also quite surreal really, you know. When I went to Barcelona before lockdown, the plan was to visit for just two weeks. I had packed clothes for just two weeks... And then the lockdown happened and I was there all this while. I come back nearly two years later, with a beautiful baby. The journey has been incredible. Having a child is such an amazing feeling and we’re immensely grateful to be blessed with such a beautiful baby girl. She changed our lives completely and she’s teaching us to be better every day.

Andrei: Becoming parents is a beautiful experience. The whole journey has been wonderful for us, more so because for many months, Shriya and I raised the child alone. We learnt new things each day. The whole experience changed us forever.

Andrei: Shriya was talking to her mom on the phone before the baby was born. We had just found out that we were going to be having a baby girl. And then her mom just started calling her Radha Rani and I was like, ‘why?’ I asked because in Russian, ‘Radha’ means happiness. Both Russian and Hindi come from Sanskrit and ‘Radha’ in both our languages means happiness. And right there, we knew that was the name for our child. We weren’t considering any other option. We just decided in five minutes that she was Radha.

Shriya: In Barcelona, you have to register the name before a child is born. It’s a very emotional moment. You’re in labour, going through so much pain and you have to think of a name. At that point, when both of us looked at each other, we just knew that she was going to be called Radha.

Shriya: Pregnancy is such an intense process and it has so many ups and downs. You have good moments and there are times when you feel very emotionally drained out and tired. I did a lot of yoga. I was dancing every day; I did a lot of Kathak. I also went on long walks and kept pushing myself to be healthy and safe.

Andrei: We had a rule. She could have either ice cream or hot chocolate. Shriya always wanted to have both (laughs!).

Shriya: Yes, I just wanted to be healthy and enjoy the process. I wanted to concentrate on this beautiful journey and experience every moment of it the way it is meant to be. I didn’t want any scrutiny or anyone telling me how I should look or behave. The whole time when I was pregnant and during delivery, it was my time with the child and I wanted to keep it to myself. It was important for me to keep it to myself and not share the news till I was ready. Now that I’m back and ready to get back to work, I feel like I’m ready to share this wonderful news with the rest of the world.

Andrei: Besides, it’s very difficult to hide a baby in Bandra (laughs!).

Shriya: (Laughs!) It was extremely difficult. We had it all planned out. Everything was a process. We arrived at night and I went out first and then Andrei came. She’s just a child and we wanted to keep her away from the limelight.

Andrei: It happened very naturally. Once we had a child, we realised that you can’t keep travelling between three countries, especially during COVID times. My parents are in Russia and Shriya’s parents are here in Mumbai. We first went to Russia and spent a couple months there and then moved to India.

Shriya: I think the game changer was when we were in Russia. I couldn’t be vaccinated when I was pregnant and when I was nursing the baby. When we went to Russia, we both got Coronavirus. We found out literally four to five hours before we were flying out of Russia. I was in denial and I thought it was a mistake. But then symptoms started showing and then Andrei got it too and we had to go to the hospital. The hardest part was we couldn’t see Radha for 15 days. That’s when we decided to shift to India.

I love it here. I feel very comfortable and positive about being here. I love Indian food. I now have Indian food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It started during Shriya’s pregnancy, she could only eat Indian food at the time and I started eating a lot more Indian food then. So now, I’m used to it. I love all kinds of food.

Shriya: Yes, a child most certainly changes your life. She drives me to spend more time with her and be with her whenever she needs us. Even when I’m working, I constantly think of Radha.

Andrei: We want her to be proud of us. That gives us extra motivation to be the best version of ourselves and set the right example for our child. Because children, knowingly or unknowingly, end up copying everything you do. So we try to be the best parents that we can be.