Marriage is not synonymous to change but a new dimension to life.
— Sonali Bendre
As it is, 'Size Zero' is not for me. I feel a woman should have a feminine figure.
I have realised that to ensure my family stays healthy, it is important I stay fit and healthy myself.
There should be a sequel to 'Sarfarosh'. It was a different film.
Not many people know that I was one of the first few Indian actors to do a television show. I did the dance show 'Kya Masti Kya Dhoom' when I was at the peak of my career.
My mother has done a great job with her kids. The daily struggle of raising three daughters with a very limited income yet seeing to it that they get a good upbringing, giving her daughters wings even after not being so educated - that person is my hero.
For a movie actor, the biggest challenge on TV is the number of close-up shots.
I believe, as human beings, we sometimes indulge in self pity more than it's necessary. Over my life's journey, I have realised that overthinking about your problems and indulging in self-pity is not the answer to get through tough times.
Travelling makes my work more stressful and tiring and leaves me with little spirit for exercise.
Bengalis have the best skin and hair; there's something more about the fish from here. I think I will start ordering fish from Bengal!
The parenting books didn't work for me; I got my parenting lessons from everything but the books! And it was about figuring things out. So every time I had a thought, I would put down my conclusions and thoughts.
Filmmakers are stuck with my glamorous image. Even if I sit in track pants and a T-shirt, I will still look glamorous. That's the way I am. But there's more to me. I'm a real person.
I think you should allow your kid to know and watch what is dangerous instead of keeping them away from it. Otherwise, how will she or he know that it is unsafe?
Being a fitness enthusiast, I try to stay away from overindulgence. I make sure my family eats healthy, too.
Once you are a parent, everything takes a back seat. It ceases to be a role. It is a reality. Once I had Ranveer, I realised that I was cracking under the pressure and that I cannot be a superwoman. I had to open myself to learning.
Getting married and having children is an evolution process, a live social experiment no one is documenting.
Until Ranveer was born in August 2005, three years into our marriage, I was working in Hindi or South Indian films. After marriage, I began learning how to run a house. My mother wanted to teach me the basics, but I was never home. So when my mother-in-law taught me chores, it was hard to adjust.
Comfort is always a priority, but that doesn't mean, just for the sake of comfort, I will wear some silly stuff and make myself look tacky.
Incorporating small changes/additions in one's daily routine can have a big impact. For example, eating a healthy diet, including a handful of almonds every day and a regular exercise regime, not only helps me maintain a healthy life but also balance both my family's health as well as my own.
If someone would ask me to choose between TV and films, I would go for TV. I am content with it. Also, I have a family and a son to look after. A mother needs to be there with the child.
I've discovered that being behind the camera is more fascinating. If I had to choose a profession today, it would have been something behind the camera.
Well-settled is just a state of mind. I don't think I'm in that state. I look for challenges every day. Bringing up my child, looking after my house is also a challenge.
My mother-in-law thinks I'm more beautiful than all the other faces around. She keeps encouraging me to take up more work.
I don't think telly actors are inferior to Bollywood stars in any way.
People often confuse self-respect with arrogance. I believe that there is a very thin line between the two. Balance between the two is often what leads to happiness.
As a contemporary Indian woman who has been handling so many things, I think she can be a very strong woman, a very strong working woman. We need more and more working women in our country.
I feel I should get better at my fitness regimen, but I think it's about doing it more regularly rather than expecting miracles. There are no shortcuts.
I think I've been pretty private as a person. Nobody really knows me.
I'm so glad that my profession helps me find a balance. I have the luxury to choose between my work and my family. Many women don't. I thank my stars for whatever I have.
If I return to films, the feeling to do it must come from the heart.
During Holi, my mom prepares lovely puran polis, and everyone in my family makes an exception in their diet plan to include this delicious food item!
My son can be as open as he wants with me, but he cannot forget I am his mother and that all will not be forgiven.
Time management is surely the most critical aspect of acing multiple arenas: home, work, and family.
My memories of the whirlwind '90s are a blur of work schedules. I was completing my B. Com. degree in 1991 when I took to modelling and acting in TV serials. A year later, I found my foothold in movies.
I don't want people to crowd around me and give advice on what I should and shouldn't wear. Style comes naturally to me.
For working mothers, creating a work-life balance is critical, as we must ensure we do not neglect any significant part of our lives - our children, our family's health, our own health and fitness, our marriage, and, of course, our careers.
I would be happy to do 'Sarfarosh 2'. The script should be as good as the first one. I don't want to destroy the goodwill of the first one.
Television takes you to an altogether different audience and directly to people's living room. On television, I'm being myself, and that's why people relate to me more.
I have immense amount of respect for women who leave their kids and go to work because they have to. They don't have a choice. I couldn't have done that.
Television is on a small screen, inside someone's living room, so you have to grab their attention while they are having dinner or cooking or doing something else.
The upbringing my parents gave me has got me through the ups and downs in my life. My parents always believed that children need to be compassionate and caring human beings above anything. I wish and hope the same for my son Ranveer.
I truly believe happiness has a different meaning for everyone. But I also believe that the sense of self is the key to one's happiness.
There are certain images attached to an Indian woman - a mother, daughter, homemaker... there are certain parts of it that I really like, and I love having that identity also, but I feel women shouldn't be limited to that.
The point of human evolution is adapting to circumstance. Not letting go of the old, but adapting it, is necessary.
Why should I limit myself or drive myself towards a woman-centric film. Sometimes, the most interesting role is not that of the protagonist.
I have two full-time jobs: one of a mother and the other of an actor. Both are equally important, and that's why I'm busy 24x7.
I love French cuisine. From crepes to the variety of cheese and seafood preparations, this cuisine is so innovative and fresh. It offers something for every kind of foodie.
I have fond memories of consuming a handful of almonds that were soaked the previous night and peeled the next morning. All through my school life, my mother would ensure she kept some almonds in my tiffin box so that I would always have my daily dose of nutrition handy.
All we have is the knowledge passed on to us by our elders, experiences we inculcate and hardly negate. But to bridge the generation gap, one needs to adapt to the new while retaining the goodness of the old.
Ranveer was almost three when I began my second stint. I took up TV assignments so that I could have enough time at home. While being 24/7 with my child was amazing and his company stimulating, I missed adult conversations.
