Actor-producer Dia Mirza, who’s greatest recognized for her roles in movies like Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd, Kyun! Ho Gaya Na…, and Thappad, is just not solely a strong actor, but in addition a staunch supporter of sustainability. Not solely does she swear by homegrown manufacturers, she has additionally adopted an environment-friendly life-style that has led to her newest enterprise: taking on because the model ambassador of Greendigo, a model manufacturing homegrown, natural cotton attire for infants.
The 39-year-old, who welcomed her first baby — a son — with husband Vaibhav Rekhi final yr, talked about her experiences of being a mom, balancing motherhood and work, and the necessity for sustainability in all areas in an unique interplay with indianexpress.com. Edited excerpts under.
How would you describe your first being pregnant?
It’s the most humbling, gratifying, enlightening, and very joyful expertise. I’ve all the time needed to be a mom and I don’t suppose I might have ever totally understood what this sense is till Samaira and Avyaan got here into my life. However it’s the very best factor that would have occurred to me.
Would you name your journey to motherhood a difficult one?
Whereas it’s been probably the most stunning expertise of my life, it had its personal set of challenges. I had surgical procedure executed in my fifth month which brought on some issues. Thereafter, my child was born a couple of weeks early and therefore needed to be put within the NICU (Neonatal Intensive care). I couldn’t maintain him for the primary 2.5 months. Nevertheless, immediately, once I take a look at my son who turned a yr outdated, I can solely see the joyful moments.
Have you ever ever skilled ‘mother guilt’?
Like each working mom, I too felt the mother’s guilt. It positively is hard and it hurts. Once I was away to movie a film that I simply accomplished I couldn’t take my baby with me as we have been filming in excessive altitudes. It was painstaking to be away from him for that point. Nevertheless, I knew he was effectively taken care of by my mother and my husband.
The one technique to take care of it’s to experience the wave of the pangs of bodily ache that you simply really feel being separated out of your baby or simply crying once you’re doing a video name together with your husband after you’ve seen your baby. I assume everybody has their very own method of coping with it. However it’s so essential for youngsters to be raised in an atmosphere the place they admire, respect, and perceive that each their mother and father are going to hunt a life that offers them the chance to reside to their full potential.
Why do you suppose sustainability is essential on the subject of trend?
We have to recognise that the style trade is likely one of the largest polluters of the planet and, thus, sustainability in trend is important. Subsequently, figuring out manufacturers that pay honest wages to people who find themselves making the garments, understanding the standard of textiles they make, figuring out whether or not they’re upcycling or not, understanding the values of the model and figuring out how wholesome the garment is for the planet are a couple of pointers that we want remember earlier than we purchase any type of clothes.
Since maternity trend has turn out to be a factor now, how can we train sustainability there?
I feel an essential rule of thumb with maternity trend and child clothes is to be open to the concept of hand-me-downs as each– child and maternity clothes are time sure and after a degree will likely be discarded. So accepting hand-me-downs from a buddy who has simply delivered is a good apply to advertise sustainability.
In relation to child clothes, what ought to be saved in thoughts?
Youngsters outgrow their wardrobes each 60-70 days. Although most mother and father attempt to give these garments away, it’s nonetheless a wasteful train to maintain shopping for new garments. As I discussed earlier than, working towards hands-down clothes is a good choice. Plenty of the stuff that Avyaan makes use of has come from one other buddy of mine who had a child a lot sooner than I did, and he or she had saved a whole lot of her stuff– all-natural and sustainable.
How have you ever adopted a sustainable strategy in house décor?
I’m an outside particular person and that displays in my house via the variety of vegetation, open areas, and huge home windows I’ve at my home. Other than the pure gentle all these items additionally add a constructive vibe to the home and equally nurture productiveness.
As a working mom, how do you suppose a girl can discover a steadiness between motherhood and work?
I’m looking for that steadiness on daily basis. I really feel it’s important for a girl to have the ability to proceed increasing, studying, and discovering the total potential of her personal being. In doing so we set an instance for our youngsters proper from the beginning that whereas we’re mother and father — their main caretakers – we’re additionally people which have obligations and work which we should find time for as effectively.
So I used to be working throughout my being pregnant interval and I resumed work inside two months of my son’s delivery after which I completed filming two function movies. Nevertheless, my baby has all the time been my precedence and I’m privileged that I could make selections which might be centred round him.
Would you prefer to share any suggestions or learnings for all new moms?
It’s so essential to know what you’re placing in your child’s pores and skin, the type of merchandise you’re utilizing to wash them and provides all of them sorts of nourishment and vitamin. So I feel as a brand new mom, make investments the time and area to actually learn the high quality print on all the pieces that you’re buying on your child and all the time select probably the most pure choice accessible.
One golden piece of recommendation about being pregnant and motherhood you would like you had recognized earlier than?
All people has their very own method of doing it, and everybody needs to inform you methods to be a father or mother however I’ve realised that one of the simplest ways to be a superb father or mother is to do issues your method. It’s good to take recommendation from those that come from a spot of expertise however each alternative associated to your baby ought to be your personal.
📣 For extra life-style information, observe us on Instagram | Twitter | Fb and don’t miss out on the newest updates!