In February this, actor couple Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal announced that they were expecting their first child. The two actors have been dating for years and married since 2022. Ahead of Mother’s Day 2024, Richa speaks to DNA exclusively about waiting for motherhood, why working while pregnant need not be glorified for all women, and what she feels needs to be changed for all moms in India.
Richa Chadha promoted her new web series Heeramandi while pregnant. Many media outlets and fans applauded her for it but the actress does not want people to dwell on it. She says, “I feel I am very privileged being an actor. Yes, it is challenging for my body to be in this situation. But you read horror stories of women being forced to deliver babies on a thela or in a tent because there were no beds in the hospital. These are the stories that we should highlight. We should not forget that while I may have access to a car and a driver, but a lot of women in this country don’t have that luxury where they can avoid taking a rickshaw or the potholes in Mumbai.”
Richa says that people should recognise her privilege and while it is a challenging feat, just doing her job while pregnant needs no glorification. “I don’t feel I am doing anything great. Yes, it is a challenging time but it also feels special. I have a growing baby inside me who gets to feel what it is like promoting a Sanjay Leela Bhansali series, as well as going to Sundance Film Festival. These are little cute things. It doesn’t need glorification. I don’ feel it is something special,” says the actress.
In fact, Richa says that what people should focus on is how to reduce inequality for all mothers and expecting moms in India. She explains, “I have seen women work immediately after delivering babies, and there are others who don’t need to as they can afford child care. Those are the things we need to figure out, this inequality.”
As the time for her delivery draws nearer, has motherhood finally hit her? The actress responds, “It still hasn’t hit me. I think it will hit me when I actually deliver. Right now, it’s just a biological thing that is happening. Mentally, I think it will take time to hit me.”
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