Want my daughters to be strong, focused, independent: Esha Deol Takhtani

Mother to daughter Radhya, 4, and Miraya, 2, actor Esha Deol Takhtani believes in passing down the same values to them that she imbibed from her mother, actor-politician Hema Malini. “I’ve been brought up in a very strong female-oriented household with my mother, grandmother and grandaunt around me. They were working women, and very focused and independent. So, I’ve also turned out to be like them. I’m giving a similar upbringing to my daughters,” she shares.

Takhtani, who is all set for he digital debut with Rudra: The Edge Of Darkness, says that she is prepared to step out for work leaving her daughters behind and she credits “a very strong support system at home” for the same.

She says, “I’m taking up projects now because I’ve a certain level of confidence knowing that I can do them. When my daughters were very small, I could’ve worked but I chose not to because I wanted to be around them. The project I was shooting for a while back was in Mumbai. The makers let me work around my schedule in a beautiful way.”

The 40-year-old actor, who has appeared in films like Dhoom (2004) and No Entry (2005), and was recently seen in a short film titled Ek Duaa, lauds the film industry for being empathetic and understanding towards actors who are mothers today. “They understand that I’m a mother now. Going forward as well, I would love to work with people who understand where I’m coming from. Most women from my generation are all working mothers. Our industry knows how to treat actors who are mothers,” she elaborates.

Quiz her how her daughters react when she leaves for work and Takhtani says with a laugh, “They both love dressing up and wearing lipstick. When I do my makeup before going out to shoot, they get very excited. They are the happiest when my makeup man and hairdresser enter the house.”