Shriya Saran recalls leaving Drishyam sets early as a new mother, before Ajay Devgn

Actor Shriya Saran, in an interview, recalled how the Drishyam 2 team adjusted readings and shoot timings after she returned to work as a new mother.

In Short

• Shriya Saran balanced motherhood and shooting Drishyam 2 with team support
• Her daughter was eight months old during the shoot
• The actor chose films mindful of her daughter's pride and time together

For actor Shriya Saran, returning to work as a new mother came with the usual challenges of managing a young child alongside a demanding film schedule. But while shooting Drishyam 2, Saran said the team made an effort to accommodate her. Her daughter was eight months old at the time, and even her first reading was scheduled around her child’s sleep time.

In an exclusive interview with India Today, Saran said the team continued to be mindful of her schedule during the shoot. “My daughter was eight months old when I did Drishyam 2. And in Part 3, of course, she’s older. But they were very supportive,” she said, adding, “After the shoot, they used to send me off earlier, sometimes even before Ajay sir, because they were like, ‘Ahashe is a new mother.’ They’re very kind, sweet, and I’m grateful to them."

Saran’s experience came amid a wider conversation in the Hindi film industry about making film sets more accommodating for working mothers. Actors including Deepika Padukone, Kajal Aggarwal and Parineeti Chopra have spoken about the challenges of managing motherhood alongside the demands of the profession, bringing greater attention to working hours, schedules and flexibility on sets.

Deepika’s comments about the need for an eight-hour workday, in particular, sparked discussion around long shooting hours and whether such schedules are sustainable, especially for new mothers. For Saran, her experience on Drishyam 2 showed how relatively simple adjustments can help. “My first reading for Part 2 happened during her sleep time,” she recalled.

The actor said motherhood has also made her more conscious of the projects she takes on and the time she spends away from her daughter. “See, I have to be mindful, of course. I want to spend a lot more time with my daughter, and I want to do films that I know one day my daughter will be proud of,” she added.

For the 44-year-old actor, that has become an important consideration when choosing work. “I want her to get up and say, ‘You know, Mama, that was a great film. And I’m glad that you did this film,’” she said.

Her daughter has already started reacting to her work. “There are some songs my daughter watches. She loves watching them, and she’s like, ‘I love Mama in this song.’ And that’s the best award as a mother that you can get,” the Awarapan actor said.

Meanwhile, Shriya stars alongside Ajay in Drishyam 3: The Conclusion, the finale film in the franchise. The film released on October 2 and has collected over Rs 303 crore worldwide in four days.

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