[Exclusive] Saumya Tandon on life post-childbirth: It's challenging and tough but it's also nice

Actress Saumya Tandon had grabbed the eyeballs for her brilliant body transformation when she resumed the shooting of her popular TV show Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hain post giving birth to a baby boy on January 14. Saumya and her husband Saurabh Devendra Singh have named their baby boy Mirran Tandon Singh who used to accompany her to the sets.

In an exclusive interview with International Business Times India, Saumya revealed how she returned to her pre-pregnancy weight after delivery, maintaining a balance between personal and professional life and why she can never be satisfied in life.

It must be great feeling to be back on the sets of Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hain post your maternity break since you have become household with your role on the show.

Yes, it's nice to come back to my old set to meet all the old friends and to catch up with them because a lot of things have happened in their lives also. Two people from our show Tillu and Malkham, both of them have got married. So many people, so many of my lightmen, their wives got pregnant, they got kids themselves. And of course, it was a very nice feeling to see them again. But it was very tough for me in the beginning. I started in May and my baby was too small. So I was shooting around my house and trying to feed my baby and carrying the baby with me. But yes, it was very sweet to come back.

You lost oodles of weight and got back into shape in just 6 months after delivery. What's your secret.

Honestly, there's no such very big secret. I did not gain too much weight. I gained almost 12-13 kgs but I started small ways of exercising. 10 days after my delivery only I was walking everyday till I completed my 40 days. And then I started with my pilates and little bit of physiotherapy exercises because I was having a lot of back pain. And I was eating right. I was not overindulging going into traditional, I was basically following what my doctor was saying. And I was constantly and consistently doing some form of exercise and after 40 days I was on pilates and physiotherapy. So I think that all helped.

Life certainly changes post-childbirth. Tell us how have you been spending your each day.

It is very different now. The entire world revolves around the baby. Everything I do in my life is around him. I have to manage my time around him. So whatever time I am not shooting, whatever time I have when I come back from the shoot, is just for the baby. Especially, when I come back, I hardly wash my hands, I just keep my bag and quickly run to the baby. And I am with the baby all the time. So yes it's kind of overwhelming but I am enjoying it. I miss him when I am away, I think about him, I wanna go back and see him. So yeah, it's a mix bag, it's challenging, it's tough, but it's also nice.

You have been consistently doing TV for many years now. Aren't you trying for movies or digital space because people loved you (played Kareena Kapoor's sister named Roop) in Jab We Met and wanted to see you more on the big screen.

Yeah why not. I have not really tried because I have busy with this. But now I have kind of taken this television a bit slow. So now its probably the time for me to see what's around, what's new on the big screen and digital space. If there is some strong content based project and if I like the character, I would love to do it. Why not. But definitely the content has to be good. I mean, I just don't want to be on the big screen for the sake of it. It should be good, it should be worthy enough to be there.

Are you satisfied with acting career or do you want to try your hands at something else as well simultaneously.

Well, I would say I am a very dissatisfied person all the time. I always feel that there is so much more to achieve, I have just started, I have done enough. That's always been the feeling I had in my life. I have always been a very dissatisfied person and my mother also says I am never satisfied. So I do feel I have not done enough, there are so many things to do, I have so many high expectations from myself. So honestly, I feel I have not even touched the tip of the iceberg, I have not even reached where I wanted to reach where I wanted to for whatever I do or whatever my dreams were. So I am far from it. Toh abhi bohot kuch karna hai.

Did you at any point of your career feel let down and exhausted probably because things didn't go as planned.

There are many times I have felt dejected, sad because things did not turn up my way. I even get sad when I watch my scene and I feel 'Oh my god! I didn't do it well, I could've done it well, I could've looked better'. I see Jab We Met and I feel 'Oh my god! I was so dumb, I was such a novice, I could've done so much better, I was not looking that great'. So every time I see my previous work, I am never satisfied and I am always upset. That is the reason why I probably never see my previous work because I feel depressed. I have too many expectations of myself and I am very critical of my own work.

Lastly, tell us how have you been maintaining a balance between your work and personal life.

I am not gonna be saying that its perfect and I have maintained the balance. It's very tough. I try and do it but now I manage my time very well and I don't waste time at all. And I organise things much more in my life and I have become very good in multitasking that is what all working moms are. So I think, I am doing fine (smiles).