Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Live
‘My kids make me want to be a better, more fun person’
When I became a mum, my first thought was that I just could not fail. I knew that this was one test I was going to ace… as this really was a question of life and wasted life,” says actor Kajol.
The actor believes that her kids (daughter Nysa, 16, and son Yug, 9) have positively impacted her as a person and as an actor. “My children make me want to be a better person and sometimes a more fun one. Being a mum added a lot to who I was, and it has only made me a better actor,” she says.
The 45-year-old, in her signature candour, shares why her children have not watched many of her films. “Both my kids love to watch films but haven’t seen many of mine. Firstly, because I haven’t made that many, and secondly, according to them, I cry too much and I make them cry too,” she says.
Mallika Bhagat
With the Olympics getting postponed to 2021 and the Covid-19 pandemic forcing people to stay indoors, Tokyo-bound sportspersons are now training at home to keep not just their form but also their spirits intact.
“I knew the Olympics would get postponed as the situation deteriorated at an alarming rate,’’ says javelin ace Neeraj Chopra, 22, who is camped at his National Institute of Sport hostel in Patiala. “We watch matches or movies sometimes. I’m also training and playing games online,” he adds.
Freestyle wrestler Bajrang Punia, who is quarantining at his home in Sonepat, has taken
Ask her about her bond with her mother, veteran actor Tanuja, and she says, “My mum and I always had the best relationship, and it has only gone from strength to strength. We don’t discuss whether I should do a film or not. It has always been my decision from the age I was 16. My mum gave me a lot of advice, and I didn’t listen to any of it till I reached a problem. And then her advice would ring in my ears and I knew what the right thing to do was.”
Sharing a message ahead of Mother’s Day, Kajol says, to cooking and splitting household chores. “I’m building other skill sets,” chuckles Punia, adding, “I have set up a gym in my society. And I have a training partner and physiotherapist staying with me. I have also arranged a small mat to practice my wrestling techniques.”
Air-rifle shooter Apurvi Chandela says her family’s support is comforting, and helps keep her spirits up. “It’s nice to spend quality time with my family and dogs. We have divided household duties, and I’m responsible for cleaning,” says Chandela, adding, “It takes up quite a bit of time and is also a good exercise. I’m even learning photography online.”
“The one thing that your children will remember forever is how you loved them. All the scolding, the feeding and the care will be forgotten. So, don’t forget to make them feel loved every single day.”