Race actor Sameera Reddy had tied the knot with entrepreneur Akshai Varde on 21 January 2014, in a traditional Maharashtrian ceremony.
The couple is blessed with two lovely children – Hans (born in 2015) and Nyra (born in 2019).
In a recent chat with Humans Of Bombay, the glamorous Sameera opened up on her battle with post-pregnancy weight gain and postpartum depression!
“When I got pregnant with Hans, my son, I thought that I’d be one of those page 3 moms posing away for the shutterbugs with a perfect bump. My vision of motherhood came from the glam world that I was from. But 9 months later, I weighed 105 kgs. And even as I held my gorgeous son, I didn’t feel happy; I slipped into postpartum depression. Akshai, my husband did it all–from changing the diapers to feeding the baby. And all I could think was how other actresses could bounce back in just a month!”
She continued further on how she struggled to get back on track – “My mom-in-law said, ‘Your baby is healthy, you have a supportive husband, why are you upset?’ I had no answer. After I was discharged, I cried; I also felt guilty for not being there for Hans. This continued for a year–I’d break down often. I was completely cut off from the film industry. I still weighed 105 kgs & was diagnosed with Alopecia areata; patches of hair fell out of my head. That’s when I realized mine was a deeper problem; I approached a homeopath. We addressed it all–being an overweight child, the pressure of growing up with 2 talented sisters & an industry which constantly scrutinises you. By the end, I felt like a new person.”
Talking about social media trolling and keeping things ‘kaafi real and relatable’ on the platform, Sameera commented saying –
“So, after 2 years of disappearing from everywhere, I joined social media. Even then, I’d be asked–‘Are you going to be a yummy mummy or will you be ‘Sexy Sam’ again?’ But I refused to live a lie just to get followers! So I started talking about my problems–at first, I was trolled for not looking ‘perfect’ but it didn’t bother me. And in 2018, when I was pregnant with Nyra, I told myself, ‘I’m going to do this my way.’ I was 40, scared & bloated but I was determined to do everything that I’d missed out on before–I spoke about mood swings, & when I was 8 months pregnant, I did an underwater bikini shoot. That’s when women said to me, ‘You inspire me’.”
She concluded on an inspiring note, “And guess what–I started off with 90% male followers but now, 70% of them are women & that’s a big achievement for me. I even tell my kids–‘Be whatever you want, but be honest to yourself.’ So, that’s what I’m doing; I remember, there was a time when even the slightest bulge under my underarms would bother people, including me. But now, who cares? I’m 42, chubby & fabulous!”