Bollywood actress Kiara Advani has openly discussed the mental and physical trials she went through after becoming a mother. Before Mother’s Day, she became tearful discussing her postpartum experience and all the changes that occurred in her life upon bringing her daughter Saraayah into the world with fellow actor Sidharth Malhotra last year.
Kiara said, “Motherhood changed me completely”
Talking to entrepreneur and podcaster Raj Shamani, Kiara shared that she has completely shifted her disposition and perception of life since having her daughter. Kiara did so by having to process everything in life through the lens of “being a parent,” as well as consistently thinking about how to demonstrate to her daughter proper examples.
Kiara described how prior and post-motherhood she feels as though she is a completely different person and there is a more profound purpose behind each of her decisions. He said that when she makes a decision or takes action, she thinks about how her daughter will ultimately judge the decision or action in life.
This emotional confession resonates with many mothers on social media, where many have publicly expressed their respect and appreciation for Kiara’s willingness to share her postpartum experiences that many other people rarely discuss publicly and openly.
Talks About Postpartum Emotional and Physical Changes
During the interview, one thing I was hugely impressed by was Kiara’s candid response about her own experiences with postpartum. She talked about how people’s postpartum experiences are unique to them and that they may also have both physical and emotional impacts on women.
Kiara talked about how she had some unexpected physical changes after she gave birth, one of which was a skin-related issue, and that it impacted her a lot initially but after she had been a mother, her perspective on those challenges changed. Kiara mentioned that she feels like challenges that used to be too large for her to handle now seem like much smaller challenges due to the way her priorities have changed since becoming a mother.
An additional point Kiara made was how many women need more awareness of postpartum discussions. She said women go through a range of emotional turmoil and are experiencing psychological trauma after childbirth without enough conversation about those topics or enough support around them. Kiara’s comments prompted discussions across social media related to maternal mental health and the need for emotional support of new mothers.
Read also: Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh Announce Second Pregnancy
“There’s So Much of an Identity Shift”
While Kiara talked about how having a child had created a huge “identity shift” for her, she began to get extremely emotional. Kiara admitted that it took her about six months to be able to allow herself grace and accept this new identity.
Kiara appealed to people to talk about how their postpartum phase impacted their relationship with themselves and how they learned to build respectful boundaries with themselves and each other and that they found how to nurture oneself through setting healthy boundaries and practicing self-care.
Kiara stated that prior to becoming a mother, she had lived her life in an “other-centric” way and, as a new mother, she learned the importance of emotional balance and self-compassion as well.
Fans commended the actress for encouraging open conversations about emotional exhaustion and mental adjustments after childbirth.
Credits Sidharth Malhotra for Support
Kiara expressed gratitude for her husband’s support during her early motherhood experience. She said once she gave birth, her emotions were all over the place and shared that Sidharth was a huge emotional support through that challenging time.
She went on to say that despite his hectic work schedule, Sidharth would make it a point to spend time with Kiara and their newborn each day and that even simple activities like going on a late-night drive together were very beneficial to Kiara as she dealt with the overwhelming nature of feeding and taking care of the baby.
She said that Sidharth helped her feel emotionally heard and supported during such a time in her life that can make someone feel isolated.
Fans Praise Kiara’s Honesty
Following her interview, Kiara received praise from social media users for her willingness to discuss the challenges of postpartum depression and motherhood without glamorizing them. Fans appreciated how vulnerable she was, and many expressed that they found her comments to be relatable and important.
There were also parenting and mental health advocates who were grateful for this open discussion and how celebrity voices can help decrease the stigma regarding postpartum depression, emotional burnout, and bodily changes after the birth of a child.
Kiara and Sidharth welcomed their daughter Saraayah in July 2025, and since that time, the actress has been primarily focused on motherhood rather than announcing new projects, although she is expected to appear next in Toxic with actor Yash.
