‘There’s no trouble in my paradise'

Mahima Chaudhry is glowing these days.

And yes it is love, says the happily married actress, who’s enjoying mommyhood to the hilt. “I am absolutely content and relishing this phase,” adds Mahima. Top this “picture-perfect phase” with the icing of Mahima’s first English film Hope And A Little Sugar and “Life,” Mahima says, “couldn’t have been better.”


Nestled comfortably in her Lokhandwala pad, she shares with her parents, Mahima’s looking more stunning than ever. However, the yum mum insists that shedding the post-pregnancy pounds was never her aim. “I only worked out towards being fit!” And she seems to have done a fab job too, if her svelte post-pregnancy figure is any indication to go by.

Ask about her ten-month-old daughter Ariana and Mahima’s face lights up. “Ariana has completed me. I felt I’d lived all my high points, till the baby came and life’s been on a high ever since. It feels like, with her I’m discovering innocence all over again. And a lot of things that I had somewhere begun to take for granted now have regained a whole lot of new value. And that includes my work,” she says. “And I think that motherhood has made me a better actress as well.”

Talking about her previous films, does she regret doing some of them? “Oh absolutely. In fact I suffer from complete amnesia when it comes to even remembering their names. Like every actor I too have some ‘classics’ in the closet, but I am not keen on adding to that collection,” she laughs. And that’s why this time around she’s picking her films very carefully and is in no rush to sign every film coming her way. “The film has to be worth every second spent away from my family,” she says.

All charged up about her comeback film the Tanuja Chandra-directed Hope, And A Little Sugar — that’s also her first release since her hush hush wedding and pregnancy — she says, “It’s a lovely story about a family grappling with their son’s loss in the 9/11 event and coming to terms with it. I play the widow who also runs a sweet shop called Hope And A Little Sugar. I am very excited about this film, since it echoes my personal beliefs as well. I’ve always believed that thodi si mithaas zindagi mein zaroori hai and that’s also what the film says.” Having received rave reviews at several international film festivals as well, Mahima says, “Just about anyone can relate to the film. The situations change, but basic emotions never do.”

In fact, the actress is so excited about her film that even rumours of ‘trouble in paradise’ haven’t been able to burst her bubble of joy. And she’s quick to squash such rumours too. “My marriage with Bobby (Mukherjee) is absolutely fine. It’s just that he travels a lot and when he’s away I often stay here with my parents. Once Bobby is in town, I’ll move back with him in our house at Bandra.”

She also brushes aside reports of Bobby’s violent nature. “Bobby and his ex-wife are entangled in a custody battle, which often turns ugly and bitter. But it’s between the two of them and I won’t interfere in that. They are two matured adults and will handle it. All I can say is that there’s no ounce of truth in the rumours about Bobby for sure.”

So what keeps Mahima going when dodging rumours, managing a baby and juggling a profession tend to take a toll on her? “Like I said, hope and a little sugar can take care of almost anything in life and that’s what’s happens with me too,” she smiles.

Surce: timesofindia.indiatimes.com