Shital Shah, actor and director, is in an incredibly happy space. Her world of joy now revolves around her little daughter
Serena
whom she has adopted recently. By choosing to be a
single mother
, Shital has pushed boundaries, given age-old stereotypes a miss and her choice is now an inspiration to many.
On a mild Wednesday evening, we meet Shital and her daughter Serena who seem to be very happy and content in their intimate world. Like the soft, mellowed February sun, their love is tender and at the same time Shital is so very looking forward to the journey ahead with her little bundle of joy.
Why did she choose to adopt and be a single mother? “I always had this desire to adopt. I have been very inspired by my friend Sandip Soparkar who chose to be a single father years back. I feel, families are not just made of DNA. Adoption is a beautiful way to have family. In my mind, I never had any links between marriage and having a child. I went ahead with the decision to adopt when I thought I was financially and emotionally ready for it,” says the 35-year-old actor-director.
How has been her family involved in the process? “I am really thankful to my mother Hina and my sister Shaina for giving me rock solid support. Both my parents, especially my mother have really given me courage and support to live life on my own terms and celebrate unconditional love. During the 18 months of adoption process, my mom and sister have really stood by me and helped me.”
Telling us her reasons to name her daughter Serena, Shital says, “I am a huge fan of Serena Williams. I like the indomitable spirit of Serena Williams and the way she has fought against all odds to emerge as a champion. If my daughter imbibes all these qualities, I would be really happy. And the name starts with ‘S’ and we share the same initial letter.”
How has having a daughter now changed her life? “A complete change, I would say. She has changed my goal post in life. She has taught me how to enjoy the present moment. I have now learnt to revel in ‘Now’ and every day I’m learning something new.”
Talking about the atmosphere at home now, she says, “Home has a different energy because of Serena. She is now the focus of everything.” She says with a smile, “Now, all of us have become 15 years younger.”
Sushmita Sen chose to be a single mother years ago and in recent years, many celebrities like Tusshar Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor and Karan Johar have chosen to be single parents. “The concept of parenthood is changing now. Single men and women are opting to be parents either through adoption or surrogacy. Thanks to advancement in technology, now single people can go for surrogacy. When people adopt, they are looking beyond the cliché of khud ka baccha. People around me think of my decision as radical but I find it very natural. Because there is nothing more natural than love. We are always expected to live in boxes. But I feel, love is all about being open and I have that much of love in my heart to share with my daughter,” says Shital.
Is she still open to the idea of marriage? “I am not close to the idea of marriage. But I am not seeking it. I will let life take its own journey,” says Shital who’s now getting ready to direct her third Gujarati film.
So what are her dreams for Serena? “I want her to be a righteous person. Like all of us, she will have her own journey. I will support her in whatever she does, cheer her when she succeeds and hold her when she fails.” Shital adds, “I will be happy if she joins me for a game of tennis or if she chooses to pursue Odissi dance or painting as all of us in the family have shared this creative journey over the years. But I leave it all to future. Right now, it’s just spending time with her. ”
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