'Mommy doesn't remember...': Richa Chadha on returning to work post-motherhood
What's the story
Actor Richa Chadha recently opened up about the challenges she faced in returning to work after a long hiatus. In a candid Instagram post, she shared her emotional, physical, and professional struggles during this period. Chadha revealed that she returned to work on Sunday after almost two years.
Work return
'My body, my mind, wasn't ready at all'
She admitted that she wanted to return to her work life sooner. "As much as I would have liked to get back sooner, my body, my mind, wasn't ready at all," she wrote in her post. "But other than these tangible issues, I have had to deal with deep professional betrayals from close quarters."
Identity crisis
Chadha's struggle with identity and industry ethics
Chadha also spoke about the disorienting experience of losing touch with her former self. She wrote, "If it takes a village to raise a child. It takes amazing support to help the mom cuz mommy doesn't remember who she was." "The mental recovery from it took longer than I hoped." On industry ethics, she said, "I have learned that in the industry, a rare few have ethics and courage." "Most people operate from such deep-seated inferiority complexes."
Social media critique
Chadha's critique of social media pressures and industry standards
Chadha also criticized the pressure on public figures to constantly create content for social media. She wrote, "Everyone tells you to post more, create more 'content,' but I am not employed by SM. I have a life." "And I have been so afraid to share the littlest snippet from it, lest I receive podcast invites to 'talk about it,' with cameras rolling, zooming in to every tear."
Digital nostalgia
Chadha's nostalgia for simpler times on social media
Chadha also expressed her nostalgia for a simpler time on social media, when sharing did not require performance or branding. She wrote, "I miss the days when IG used to be a place where you uploaded photos of what you ate and other mundane things...WHY MUST I TRY TO SELL SOMETHING TO YOU." She ended her note with "Jo dikhta hai vo bikta hai, par har insaan bikau nahi hota." Meanwhile, Chadha recently turned producer with Girls Will Be Girls.