There’s a current of authenticity that seems to run through Anushka Sharma. It shows up in the way she greets the Bazaar India team, how she cracks a self-deprecating joke about the oversized pants she has on, and when she candidly discusses the guilt she experiences as a working mother and her struggles to achieve that most elusive concept of them all…work-life balance.
Over the last five years or so, much has changed for the 34-year-old actress. She married cricketer Virat Kohli. She took a break from movies (and deprived her countless fans of some truly unconventional, beautifully-portrayed roles). She gave birth to her daughter Vamika (“My first trimester was awful,” she had revealed in another interview, with an honesty that she has become synonymous with). She decided to step down from her role as co-founder of production company Clean Slate. And she signed on the cricket biopic, Chakda ’Xpress, based on the life of former India cricket captain Jhulan Goswami.
Later, when we get on a call for this interview, I discover other subtle changes in Anushka, ones reserved for her private life. “I’ve changed quite a bit over the past few years,” she says, “changes I wanted, those I was seeking. I made certain decisions so that I could have a deeper understanding of myself…”.
Today, Anushka’s life is about pouring energy into the things she loves fiercely…her marriage, her daughter, and the kind of work that justifies the time she has to spend away from her child. Read on to learn more about how Anushka is here to embody her truth and live life on her own terms…
Nandini Bhalla: How are you feeling these
