Exclusive: Tanishaa Mukerji on her Bigg Boss 7 journey, freezing eggs at the age of 39 and more
Tanishaa Mukerji is all set to begin a new journey in her professional life with a short film titled ‘Life is short’. The actress, who has participated in shows like Bigg Boss 7, Khatron Ke Khiladi 7 and more, looks back at her journey. The actress in an exclusive interview with ETimes TV, spoke about how the reality show made her wiser, decision to freeze her eggs at the age of 39, constant comparison with mother Tanuja, sister Kajol, social media trolls and more.
On her upcoming short film
It’s a very interesting character. I play the role of a disillusioned actress. It’s a lovely subject. It’s a film that will make an impact. We shot it before the pandemic and because of the pandemic, it got delayed.
Any moment when you have felt vulnerable and overcame it thinking life is too short
Of course, there have been lots of such moments. We all have been through such moments in life. Insecurities walk hand-in-hand with your life. If you are not insecure you won’t try to achieve more than what you have in life. There are certain points in life when you feel insecure and then you move on from those emotions thinking life is too short. I have definitely felt such insecurities. There have been points in life in the beginning of my career when everybody looked at me and expected me to look like Kajol, act like Kajol and beat Kajol. I was like, ‘I can’t be her. She’s got green eyes, much taller than me, curly hair and she’s nothing like me.’ I am sure she must have also had it when mom (Tanuja) was concerned. We’ve dealt with that and luckily for us we have a great mother, who has this amazing confidence. She would tell us, ‘you need to shine, you are a person and you need to be yourself.
Coming from a family of superstars, do these comparisons bother you or you just laugh it off?
These things affect you when you are younger. Even now when people draw comparisons, I feel sad for them. It might sound bit egoistical on my part but I don’t compute it in my brain. No two people in this world can be compared. Not a single soul can be compared to another soul. We all have our own individualities. The moment you start cherishing, comparisons go out of the window.
Its been many years since your participation in Bigg Boss; do you see it as a learning experience or somewhere you regret doing the show?
No, you just can’t have a feeling of regret or happiness. It’s all mix. There are a few things I regret doing in the show and some things I don’t. But it’s not something you should focus in your life. It is that stage of your life, in that space and moment, you did the best that you could. You grow old and become wiser. You make those mistakes to get this wisdom. I look back and look back with realism. People will give their opinion but it is your life and you know what you have done. In that house, I made all my moves with integrity, my sensibilities, my values and priorities. My actions were my actions. I will not regret that ever. What others have done, what media has done, that’s not on me. It’s their perception of me on Bigg Boss. That’s not me. I got a lot of love from fans and I feel blessed.
Post Bigg Boss, was your role in the show discussed on the dinner table with your family?
No, nobody cared and that was the funniest thing. My family is beautiful. They love and accept me the way I am. My mother told me, ‘Baby I believe you in your decisions because you will do it with the values instilled in you.’ We love and respect each other. We don’t discuss anybody.
You also did a host of reality shows post Bigg Boss…
Yes, I did Khatron Ke Khiladi, which was harder than Bigg Boss… much harder. Khatron Ke Khiladi was too harder but it was amazing. I loved taking part in it. Even the show had some awesome people. It had lot of battles with yourself. It was amazing.
Inching this closer to Bigg Boss, did ever feel wish you had been the winner?
No, Gauahar played very well. I always say.
Will you take up any reality show as a host?
I think social media is a big reality show, which we are already hosting. Be it Instagram, or any other platform, every person is hosting their own reality show.I think social media is a big reality show, which we are already hosting. Be it Instagram, or any other platform, every person is hosting their own reality show.
Talking about social media, how do you react to trolls and negative comments?
Honestly, trolls are trolls. They are those little creatures in their fantasy world. They are those ugly and dirty creatures. Why to bother about them?
On social media we saw your pictures of losing oodles of weight, tell us about your transformation journey
At one point I was very conflicted because I was turning 39 and I wanted to freeze my eggs. I didn’t have a baby and all these things were going on in my mind. I finally got some guidance and froze my eggs at the age of 39. But I also put on a lot of weight due to the procedure. They pump you with a lot of Progesterone and it bloats you a lot. Not putting on weight, you become round and glowing and become very beautiful. I love pregnant woman, they are in their most beautiful phase with that baby glow. I was very happy about freezing my eggs. And after that I wanted to become fit. I started a hardcore regime. I have always been a physically fit person. I followed diet what suits my body and became more aware as a person. In that process I got a six-pack. But you can’t maintain a six pack. Honestly, you will have to kill yourself to maintain it. As a women, to drop your body fat to that level, it’s not healthy. You can do it for a little while.
Has it been challenging to break societal norms in the process where you spoke about freezing eggs?
I wanted to freeze my eggs at the age of 33! At that time, when I went to my doctor (who finally froze my eggs now)… it is funny but she stopped me from doing so at that time. While she told me it takes a toll on your body, she advised I should do it when I have no hope of conceiving a baby. It’s a personal choice. And today, it is perfectly ok to not have children. Adopt, there’s enough in this world. More people need to go out and talk about this. It’s ok for women to not have children. That’s not the only calling in your life. It’s ok to not get married, not be in a relationship and not define yourself with a man beside you. Back in the days, my grandmother and women those days didn’t define themselves with the man. We have gone wrong somewhere in the middle. My grandmother was a strong, amazing personality, who never defined herself with a man.
How have your mother and sister supported your thoughts?
My mother always told me since my teenage days that I don’t need to get married to have a baby. My mom has always been very supportive, progressive and forward thinking woman. That’s what I respect about her. Even my sister. I am surrounded by strong women.
How’s your bond with Nysa and Yug?
It is lovely. I always believe that the bond with your niece and nephew are a reflection of your bond with your siblings. Children take from the parents. I am lucky that I have a sister, who has allowed me to have this bond with my niece and nephew. They (Kajol and Ajay) have made amazing kids and I keep telling them to have more babies.
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