Team Viva brings you four women who share their experiences of stepping into the shoes of their mothers after playing lovely daughters for long
Geeta Chandran
A celebrated performer and a great exponent of Bharatnatyam, she started practising at the age of five and was kept on an extremely tight leash, pushed to excel in classical dance, vocal music and academics. Despite being an only child, she was never pampered. There was no letting up as her mother was extremely stringent and ambitious for her. And since distractions were far fewer, one negotiated the achievement curve with a fair amount of ease. “When I had my daughter, Sharanya, again an only child, I swore that I would go easy on her. But soon I followed my mother’s formula and she, too, was brought up in a fairly strict manner. Today, as I see her blossom into an ardent development professional, balancing the demands of classical dance and helping me manage our cultural institution Natya Vriksha, I realise that my mother’s time-tested formula has worked once again. I am ever so proud of Sharanya’s achievement curve as my mother was for mine.” Chandran says.
Shivani Wazir Pasrich
Shes’s been a model, actor, theatre person and is mostly seen emceeing at various high profile events. A mother of two albeit her gruelling schedules has hardly impacted her familial bonds. “I consider myself lucky to be my mom’s daughter...and papa’s baby,” Pasrich says. Jyoti Wazir, her mother, became Jo as Pasrich got cheekier and moved on to becoming best friends with her. Her mother allowed the tree of life to germinate and grow within her two daughters (Shivani and her sister). “With my girls, I try to do the same. I give them good values and at the same time encourage them to make a difference to the world. I hope one day they can enjoy the privilege and pleasure of parenting,” adds she.
Shipra Khanna
For the glamorous chef, playing dual role of daughter and a mother was anything but easy. Having learnt a lot from her mother, she believes in the adage “your mother is your first teacher as you are for your children.” Extremely protective about her kids, she doesn’t like to share much information about her children. She says, “What I learnt from my mother is ingrained in my system and that is what I have passed down to my children as well. It’s a bond that is very special and in many ways something that can’t be explained but only felt. One thing which is common about my mother and kids is that you can’t live with them and can’t live without them.”
Mary Kom
A sportswoman who has made India proud with her glorious achievements, Mary Kom is the only Indian woman boxer who won an Olympics bronze medal. She credits her perseverance and hard as nails demeanour to her mother. “I learnt tireless patience, sacrifice and boundless love from my mom. And my kids taught me to be more responsive. I could see their trust and unshakeable confidence in me. It’s a joy and comfort seeing them grow.” She feels as a daughter you are more carefree but motherhood brings a certain responsibility which makes you a stronger and a better person.