From Body Shaming, Postpartum Depression to Identity Crises: Swara Bhasker Shares Her Motherhood Journey
Becoming a mother is often a life-altering experience, and many women find themselves unable to recognize the person they once were. Actress Swara Bhasker, known for films like Anaarkali of Aarah, Raanjhanaa and Veere Di Wedding, recently shared her journey of motherhood, the physical and emotional changes she went through, and her return to work in an interview with Navbharat Times.
Handling Comments on Weight and Looks
“As a celebrity mom, people often comment on your looks and weight,” Swara admitted. “Yes, I’ve gained weight after childbirth—this happens to everyone. But people don’t understand it until they themselves go through it. I don’t pay attention to such remarks. Some say I should lose weight immediately, and I ask them, ‘Why? Who are you to tell me that?’ It’s not that I don’t care about fitness, but I’ll do it on my own terms. Right now, my child is my biggest priority. Life has permanently changed; you always carry that responsibility and concern with you.”
Dealing with Mom Guilt
Talking about the struggle of leaving her daughter behind for work, Swara shared: “Mom guilt is born the day your child is born. Even if you leave them alone for half an hour, it feels terrible. My daughter is a little older now, so we’ve started a healthy separation, which is also important for her. Many times, we take her along to the sets. Still, it’s very hard for me to stay without her. That’s why I didn’t rush back to work. I took a two-year break. For 15–16 years, I only focused on my career, so I felt these two years should be devoted to my child.”
Struggling with Postpartum Depression and Identity Crisis
Swara candidly opened up about her mental health: “I went through a very difficult phase of postpartum depression. Only a mother can truly understand it. After childbirth, your body and hormones change so drastically that your emotions are not in your control. One moment you’re crying, the next moment happy, then angry, then depressed—it was constant. For the first six months, I was often angry, which would come out on my husband Fahad (Ahmad) and my mother.”
She added that beyond physical changes, the toughest part was the identity crisis: “I couldn’t even recognize myself. I had been an ambitious girl who built her career with grit and determination. But after daughter Rabia’s birth, that ambition seemed to die inside me. For me, career, financial independence, and work had always been central. Suddenly, I was questioning—‘Who am I? How can I not be working? I’m a feminist, a career woman!’ I struggled with the guilt of not working. It took a lot of effort to convince myself that this is nonsense—your worth isn’t tied to earning money. I was working—I was raising a child.”
A Gentle Comeback to Screen
Now, two years after embracing motherhood, Swara is returning to the screen with the TV reality show Pati Patni Aur Panga. “The show only required shooting one or two days a week, so I felt it was the right pace to start working again,” she said. “It’s a fun, family-oriented show, and I thought it would be a sweet comeback where we could share the lighter side of our personal lives with the audience.”
