‘You don’t need a Sushmita Sen for change’

Sushmita Sen has been juggling many roles — that of an actor, a single mother, an entrepreneur and a philanthropist, with ease.

At the annual fundraiser of Teach for Change, the actress talks about the challenges of being a single mother and daughters Renee and Alisah.

‘If I do a film, it should be worth it’ It’s been six years since Sushmita acted in a Bollywood film – No Problem in 2010. “Bollywood will happen in it’s own time. I think a lot of people panic because they think ‘Oh! my time is up, what am I going to do, so many new faces are out there’. But I think you have to have faith in your talent. I am just honing my skills and waiting for the right film. Between my daughters, work commitments, relationships and travelling the amount that I do, doing a film should be worth it,” she says.

‘Being a mom at 24 was the best decision’ “I must say that there are too many challenges of being a single mother. Children of different age groups (her elder daughter is 16, and the younger six) also have different demands and expectations and you as a single mom want to meet all of them all the time, which is not possible, so it takes time.” She continues, “But if you were to ask me, single or not, becoming a mom at 24 was the best decision of my life. When I look around me, I see most moms are single, I am just given way too much credit.”

‘Renee wants to be an actor’ “Renee (her elder daughter) has always been fascinated with acting. She always had a knack for dramatics. After her graduation, she is free to pursue it by all means.”

Marriage is on the cards “Of course I am open, I have always been. I am a tall woman, and for me to marry, that person will have to be someone who I can look up to. To find such a man isn’t easy, so I shall wait.” Teach for Change Sushmita has been working on education through her “I Am” foundation. Talking about why she decided to support Teach for Change, Sushmita says, “No matter how much we do as public figures, there is no greater example than an inspiring story like that of Chaitanya’s (founder of Teach for Change). People don’t need Sushmita Sen and they don’t need all these iconic movie stars. We give our voices, yes sure, but the people who actually do the ground work, they are the heroes.”