I would have been a school teacher if not an actress: Mahima

Mahima Chaudhary is back on screen after a long hiatus. The actress, who took a break from acting after her marriage and the birth of her daughter, Ariana.
The actress talks about her plans for the future and her new TV show in which she’s surrounded by her favourite people – kids.
Other actresses on TV are not competition
I have always loved children and I’m good with them.If not an actor, I would have been a nursery school teacher. This is the right time to do this show I feel, post motherhood.
Most of the kids on the show are 7 to 12 years old; they are innocent and the stand-up comedy that they do is hilarious and not at all crass. The kids are so cute, they’re like dolls. We are not on the show for drama and see kids cry and criticize them. They are all equally good but there is always some little thing that makes one better than the other.
I don’t count other actresses on television as competition. Take Madhuri for example, I admire her. She’s my senior and I have always looked up to her, so there’s no competition at all.
Not doing TV to push film career
I had film offers even before I had this show. I just felt it was the right time to take up this show. And I’m not using this as a platform for my film career. I will take up a film only when my heart says it’s the right time, and when the right script comes along.
I know there is a lot of pressure in the industry to stay slim. I really feel one should be fit, more than a size zero. I am happy with being curvy. The “Dirty Picture” has set a new trend and shows people that it’s not the size zero that makes a film work, it’s the script. I am confident about my body, I am not going to conform to the skinny body type. Men don’t like skinny women; one should just be fit, not flabby. One has to have a proportionate body, look at Beyonce and JLo, those are wonderful bodies. In fact, Prahlad Kakkar used to call me ‘Laddu Rani’ and he still calls me that.
Motherhood’s the nicest experience
Motherhood is one of the nicest experiences of my life. The best day of life is the day Ariana was born. She gets very upset when she sees me on screen and asks why she isn’t on screen. You become a nicer daughter once you become a mother. Me and my mom understand each other better now.
The fashion week in Delhi is huge
I went for Manish Malhotra’s show at the WIFW in Delhi this time. I wasn’t able to attend other shows because I had a tight schedule. The Delhi fashion week has reached that stage where it should be – it’s all about large-scale business. It’s huge; Mr Sethi has done a great job. I remember that this fashion week used to happen at a hotel earlier, but now it’s become big.