- Monday, June 09, 2025
Radhika Apte, who welcomed her baby girl in December 2024, candidly shares her mental preparedness for postpartum depression and the emotional rollercoaster of motherhood, calling it both “elating” and “emotionally tiring” in a heartfelt conversation.
By: Vibhuti Pathak
Radhika Apte, who welcomed her daughter with husband Benedict Taylor in December last year, has opened up about the complex, emotional terrain of early motherhood. In a heartfelt interview with ANI, the actor reflected on her postpartum experience, admitting she was mentally prepared for the emotional challenges that could arise after childbirth.
The actor, known for her fearless roles and candid nature, revealed that she proactively prepared herself for postpartum depression—a condition affecting many new mothers but rarely spoken about in public by celebrities.
“I was very prepared for postpartum, actually. And I had also made sure that my friends and family were aware that if I went into postpartum depression, they needed to support me. To my own surprise, I was just purely elated when I had a child. And fortunately, I didn’t suffer from severe depression at any point,” Radhika said.
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While Radhika thankfully did not experience clinical postpartum depression, she admitted that motherhood brought emotional highs and lows that were difficult to manage at times.
“But a child, it’s so difficult to look after a child 24/7. It’s such a huge change in your life that there are many days and moments of feeling terribly low and lost, as well as feeling elated and in love with your child. There are moments when you have no idea what you think, and you feel emotionally quite tired and low,” she explained.
She emphasized that such experiences are not only normal but common for new parents. Radhika also pointed to the role of sleep deprivation in intensifying emotional exhaustion.
“Also, sleep deprivation doesn’t help with that. So, it’s a constant up and down, I think, this new journey. And it’s very, very natural and normal to feel that way,” she said.
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Despite the challenges, Radhika appears to be embracing her new role as a mother with honesty and grace, setting an example for women who may feel overwhelmed by societal expectations to “bounce back” instantly.
On the work front, Radhika is currently seen in her latest film Sister Midnight, which hit Indian theatres on May 30. The film had earlier premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and is a dark comedy with punk overtones. In the film, she plays Uma, a fierce, rebellious character who critiques conventional norms like arranged marriages.
Talking about Uma, Radhika said, “I mean, I don’t think she’s a very, very different character from Indian women. In fact, I think that I’ve seen a lot of Indian women with the same amount of… Basically, she’s quite feral. And I’ve seen a lot of women like that.”
Whether onscreen as a disruptor of norms or offscreen as a transparent voice on motherhood, Radhika Apte continues to resonate with women navigating identity, emotion, and empowerment.
