Anita Hassanandani is stepping into a new phase of her journey. She is set to join Zee TV’s reality show Choriyaan Chali Gaon, where she, along with ten other participants, will live in a rural setting for two and a half months. The show will revolve around village life, and the contestants will immerse themselves in traditional, hands-on experiences far from the glamour and lights of Mumbai’s television studios.
But for Anita, this decision came with a heavy emotional cost. In a recent episode of SCREEN’s Dear Me, she opened up about the dilemma that weighed on her as a mother. Saying yes to the show meant saying goodbye to daily moments with her son Aarav. The idea of not waking up next to him or watching his tiny milestones unfold gave her pause. She said, “Every parent wants to work less so that they can spend more time with their child and watch every phase of them growing up.”
Anita admitted that the thought of being away from Aarav was enough for her to consider turning down the offer. “Initially, I didn’t want to work. Nobody asked me to do it, but I just wanted to be with Aarav every second of my life,” she shared, the emotion still fresh in her voice.
She also touched on the realities of parenting today. According to her, this generation of parents tends to overdo protection. “As parents, we are overprotecting our children. This generation does so much that sometimes I fear that we don’t end up with the kids having phobias,” she reflected.
For Anita, the solution lies in balance. She admires actors like Deepika Padukone, who recently requested shorter working hours for her upcoming project Spirit. Anita echoed that sentiment. “I have been wanting to do work hours like Deepika Padukone,” she said. The idea of having more days off during the week and reduced shifts appeals to her deeply. She believes it’s a model that could benefit countless parents in the entertainment industry and beyond.
But her thoughts also drifted to the broader challenges faced by women in entertainment. When she returned to the industry after becoming a mother, she was met with silent assumptions. Anita shared that the industry tends to box women in. “So even before you can say you don’t want to work, they assume that you will be busy and you won’t take up work,” she explained. That unspoken judgment adds another layer of pressure.
Anita’s take on shelf life in showbiz was honest and raw. She believes talent never expires. “If you are a good actor, there is no shelf life. You can play different characters,” she said. But she didn’t sugarcoat the truth she boldly exclaimed female actors often have a shorter window. For male stars, aging is rarely an obstacle. “For male actors like Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, there is no end to it,” she added.
She emphasized that returning to work post-motherhood is rarely instant, especially in television. The process is gradual and requires not just effort but also fitness, confidence, and visibility. She compared it to the film industry, where actors like Alia Bhatt seem to glide back into the spotlight. “If you are in a position like an Alia Bhatt who delivered a child and in three months she was working on Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, it’s different,” Anita pointed out.
She is ready to rebuild, reconnect, and find a new rhythm as both an actor and a mother. As Choriyaan Chali Gaon begins, she brings the hope that mothers in showbiz can write their own scripts, on their own terms.
