'As a mother, it is okay to not be okay', says producer, mom, and entrepreneur Deepshikha Deshmukh - Mother's Day Special!

Producer, mom, entrepreneur and wife, Deepshikha Deshmukh dons many hats. Daughter of well known producer Vashu Bhagnani and sister to Jackky Bhagnani, Deepshikha says she was extremely 'shy' as a child to even fathom a career as an actor. She eventually started following in her father's footsteps to produce her first film at the age of 32. On the occasion of Mother's Day today, Deepshikha chats with ETimes on balancing her varied roles and why as mothers, we need not be perfect. Excerpts...You come from an illustrious family - your father is a producer and your brother is an actor. Did you ever harbor dreams of being on camera?Never, because as a child, I was extremely shy and was always inclined towards spending time with the family. Also our upbringing was simple and sans any fanfare. We moved from Kolkata to Delhi to Mumbai, where my father started producing movies when I was around 11. However, at school, I was dabbling in a lot of creative groups such as music, drama etc. Eventually, Sarbjit (2016) was the maiden film I produced, along with my father. The story, that portrayed the heartfelt bond between a sister and brother (played by Aishwarya Rai and Randeep Hooda) was something that really resonated with me and Jackky. You are a mum, producer and entreprenuer (she has her own line of organic skin care products) What is your mantra to balance it all?I think first off, the support that comes in from all quarters is extremely important. My husband Dhiraj really believes in equal parenting and open communication, so we both step up in each other's absence and make it work. Also delegating responsibilities, asking for help and most importantly, time management remains the key. Of course, there will be slip ups, mistakes and a bad day here and there, and that is fine too, because eventually the smile on your child's face makes it all worthwhile.As mothers, most women are expected to 'do it all' - you think however, it is okay to not be perfect?Absolutely. Even though I think women in general and not just mothers are capable of balancing a lot at the same time, it is also okay to 'not be okay'. I think one needs to take care of your own self first, mothers are known to be 'giving it all', but you need to have your own life too. Finally, it took me around 20 years to realise this, but it is fine if some things don't work out. At the end of the day, you are raising happy children and that is what matters.What do mothers in general, need more of?I think as mothers, these are great times to be in, since so many mompreneurs are taking the start-up world by storm. Citing my own example, I launched my line of organic skin care products since my son developed an allergy and nothing in the market was suiting his skin. The fact that you can channelise your motherhood experience into something businessworthy is extremely exciting, and I am always looking out for that space created by women. On a lighter note, as mothers, we all need more hugs and cuddles from our children, even when they are all grown up! In recent times, you have produced movies like Cuttputlli, Coolie No.1 and Bell Bottom. What's next?This year, we have India's first dystopian action-thriller Ganapath coming up in October. Then of course, there is Bade Miyan Chote Miyan that will come out around Eid next year, starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff in lead roles.