MUMBAI: Geeta Sanon is a proud mum to actors Kriti Sanon and Nupur Sanon. Talking to us for our Mother’s Day special series, she accepts that while she wanted her daughters to pursue their dreams, treading a similar path was not easy for her. “I come from a very conservative Punjabi family. I had to fight to do my PhD (in Physics). I was the first working woman in my family. So, when I had my daughters, I made sure that they had all that I missed in life,” Geeta says.
Kriti adds, “I always felt proud that my mum was a working woman. Seeing her balance work and home, drive me to school when I missed the bus and publish a book had a strong impact on me as a kid. It made me realise the importance of being independent. For me, she was my superwoman and I wanted to be like her — headstrong and a woman with a strong personality.”
It was mum Geeta’s efforts that made it possible for actor Kriti to enter showbiz. “When Kriti started modelling, my husband wasn’t completely supportive, but I knew that she knows what’s good and what’s bad for her,” Geeta tells us, adding, “Our relatives and friends also criticised our decision initially.”
Geeta admits that while she supported Kriti’s modelling career, she did have her own doubts when the youngster wanted to venture into acting. “It was the era of confident actresses such as Priyanka Chopra (Jonas) and Deepika Padukone. I wondered how she would fit in, since she would get bullied easily. So, initially, I had my doubts as I was scared for her. But she told me that she had faith in herself and would build her confidence gradually,” Geeta recalls.
It was probably the same faith that won the actor a National Award last year — and mum Geeta couldn’t be prouder: “Her journey hasn’t been so smooth. Her first ramp show, her first photoshoot, both had issues, but she always strived to improve herself. I always wanted her to win a National Award and I had high hopes of it after Mimi (2021). But I couldn’t be sure and when it was announced, I felt so proud of her.”
Ask Kriti about what she has imbibed from her mum, and she says, “My strong opinions and belief in feminism and the fact that there shouldn’t be any kind of gender bias comes from my mom. She always stood up for herself and for the right. She achieved and did whatever she wanted to, whether it’s doing her PhD when she just had me, or writing and publishing a book later, to trying her hand in painting and now crochet. I love that she is creative and maybe I’ve inherited my creative side from her.”
What’s the sweetest gesture Kriti has extended to her mum? “We’ve always lived in a flat and I always wanted to have a bungalow where I could sit in the garden and have tea while playing with my grandkids. So, while looking at homes in Mumbai, she made sure it had a garden so that I could have that experience. She said, ‘Mama, I can fulfil the first part of your dream; the second part will take time’. And I am sure, it will also happen in its own time,” Geeta wraps up.
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