Esha Deol Takhtani
Actor Esha Deol Takhtani’s debut book, Amma Mia, is releasing on March 23. Full of anecdotes, tips and easy recipes for toddlers, the book documents her journey through motherhood. She writes from her personal experience of raising her daughters, Radhya and Miraya, who are two-and-a-half and eight-months-old respectively. Edited excerpts:
Q\Tell us about how you decided to write Amma Mia.
A/ I give the entire credit to both my girls for turning me into an author.... As Radhya was progressing from milk to liquid food to mashed food and then to solids, I created and collected a lot of recipes, which were working beautifully with her. I just felt that there was so much that I had faced.... I was overcoming them and coming out a winner each time. I felt that, like me, there were so many women out there experiencing the same things. I wanted to share my recipes and other things and basically give a helping hand to those women. That is when I felt that the best way to share my journey would be through a book. Hence, Amma Mia happened. Writing the book took me more than a year. I was writing it through my second pregnancy. Most of the writing took place in the middle of the night.... During the day, I would reevaluate and reread.
Q\ Tell us about your daughters.
A/ My daughters are a beautiful mix of Bharat (husband) and me. Radhya has her own strong mind and a very strong personality. I can understand her better because she is a Libran, exactly like my mother (actor Hema Malini) and my husband. She is a lot like me as far as cleanliness and (obsessiveness) is concerned.... As far as Miraya is concerned, she is just eight months old. But she also has a strong personality. It is amazing that she does not know to read time but she is so particular about her milk timings and her feeds.
Q\ You recently played a chef in the short film, Cakewalk. You are also producing your first film. How do you maintain work-life balance?
A/ I think it is my responsibility to bring up my girls beautifully. At the same time, I have my own needs and wants as a human being, and I would never curb them. I think it is very important to maintain a balance. It is not easy. But it is very important to have family support and a partner who supports you.
I have an office at home. I do most of my work meetings between 2pm and 5pm, when the kids are asleep. Then at five, I will be with Radhya and Miraya because that is their playtime.... I also give time for my workouts, usually in the mornings when the kids are busy with their friends.
Q\ What else is happening on the work front?
A/ Right now, I am completely focusing on the book. From July onwards, I have a couple of dance shows lined up. The film that I have produced will be coming out very soon. I will be making an announcement on that soon.