Mama mia

ILEANA D'CRUZ NAVIGATES MOTHERHOOD, MENTAL HEALTH AND HER CAREER IN A CHAT WITH SUMAN SHARMA

- SUMAN SHARMA

ILEANA D’CRUZ, RENOWNED FOR HER COMPELLING PERFORMANCES, OPENS UP ABOUT HER TRANSFORMATIVE JOURNEY INTO MOTHERHOOD, HER BATTLE WITH POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION, AND THE UNWAVERING SUPPORT FROM HER HUSBAND, MICHAEL DOLAN. IN THIS CANDID INTERVIEW, SHE REFLECTS ON THE EVOLVING DEFINITION OF LOVE, THE IMPACT OF HER BLOCKBUSTER DEBUT IN BARFI!, AND THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF HER CAREER. WITH DEEP INSIGHTS INTO PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE, ILEANA SHARES WHAT KEEPS HER GROUNDED, THE IMPORTANCE OF RESPECTING TIME, AND WHAT TRULY MAKES A PERSON ATTRACTIVE BEYOND APPEARANCES.

MOTHERHOOD IS A MILESTONE. HOW HAS IT CHANGED YOU?

Yes, I am pretty busy with the baby. I am a completely different person in many ways. I have become calmer now. Everything changes after becoming a mother.

HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION?

One thing that has helped me is being able to talk about it. Secondly, whenever I am going for my baby’s appointment, the doctors also check on the mother. They give you a questionnaire to assess how you are doing mentally. They ask if you need help. So, there is always that communication, which helps immensely. If you can talk about it and share how you’re feeling with somebody, there’s always a way around it. But postpartum depression is alienating, and you don’t talk about it enough. At least I didn’t share enough about it when I was in India, so it was something I just wanted to discuss a little. Many women go through it quietly and don’t understand why. For me, what helped first was to start talking about it. My husband is amazing. He’s been really great, so every time I have had a low phase and am not feeling my best, he comes in, gives me some time off, and talks to me about it. He reassures me that I have dealt with it really well. Sometimes, that’s all it takes.