They are the sweetest couple on the Tolly block. Ridhima Ghosh and Gaurav Chakrabarty have always charmed us with their amiable demeanour. With the couple expecting their first baby soon, we had to celebrate with them and what better way to do that than do a special maternity shoot with the parents-to-be! They were game for the shoot and also a candid chat with The Telegraph where they spoke about their pregnancy journey and thoughts on parenting, as we sat them down at ITC Sonar post-shoot. Extracts...
The countdown has begun! How are you feeling?
Ridhima Ghosh: Excited but getting panic attacks sometimes right now karon ar beshi shomoy nei. So I am excited and nervous.
Gaurav Chakrabarty: I am very excited. I am not scared at all. Everyone is coming up to me and telling me to be ready for sleepless nights but I am really looking forward to the whole thing. It’s a whole new experience, a new phase of life.
Ridhima: I am looking forward to it too. I am just not looking forward to the delivery process, the OT, the injections. I am trying to mentally prepare myself. I have a major phobia of needles too!
Has the preps for welcoming the baby started, like nursery or shopping for the little one?
Ridhima: (Pause) The nursery is ready! (Eyes gleaming)
Gaurav: Ridhima has done the major part of doing up the nursery. It’s her idea, her design. I have just helped with the execution. (Smiles)
Ridhima: We’ve bought a lot of clothes but I still feel we are not prepared and don’t have anything. Most of our shopping has been done online. Earlier I used to keep scrolling for clothes to buy for myself. Now I just look at baby clothes.
Since you will be spending a lot of time at the nursery, did you incorporate any specific/personal thing into it?
Ridhima: I wanted to keep it very simple and homely but since we both love travelling and have a love for the jungles, we’ve kept a jungle/animal theme to it. On our past travels to Kenya, to San Diego Zoo, I had picked up little little things and thought one day I will keep these in the nursery. They have all come out of the box now.
Gaurav: My baba (Sabyasachi Chakrabarty) also came and helped out in putting up shelves.
Ridhima: I clicked photographs of that so that I can show the baby one day that your father and your grandfather did this together.
Your shaadh (baby shower) is over? What are you looking forward to?
Ridhima: I am not looking forward to the eating part of it. As a foodie, I love my food. However, during this pregnancy, I have not had any cravings and I have not looked forward to the eating part. Amar normally aro beshi cravings hoto.
So you are also breaking the myth that you eat for two people...
Ridhima: I don’t think you eat for two people. You only eat for yourself... only in the last trimester, you eat 200-300 calories extra and I don't think I have done that either. I have just eaten normally and (touchwood) my baby is growing fine.
You have barely put on weight...
Ridhima: That shocked me! I think I have a naturally chubby face. Now I don’t even need to photoshop my pictures. (Laughs)
What has pregnancy taught you both?
Gaurav: What I have felt is very attached to family life. There are phases when going out, meeting new people, hanging out with friends in general takes centre stage but in this period I have realised that family is all that I need to be happy.
Ridhima: Definitely what he said. Also, it makes me a different kind of person that I have never experienced before. I already feel that I am more in love with him (Gaurav) but I just can’t wait to see him with the baby. Also, when I feel the baby kicking, it kicks in then that the baby is coming soon and there’s not much time left till I hold my baby. I am waiting for the time when all three of us are present together. (Eyes slowly well up with joy).
Everyone scares you from the very beginning. I think I had a wonderful pregnancy. I have been unwell. I have had my good days and my bad days. Even when the baby is out, I am going to miss this phase. The amount of things Gaurav has done for me has made me feel so loved and taken care of all the time.
Gaurav: Thank God. (Laughs)
Yes! I remember he did not have sushi when we last met, because you could not eat sushi.
Ridhima: Yes, he always says we are in this together so he never had. Serving me food, all the foot massages and back massages. I am still going to need that for a long time. (Looks at Gaurav)
Gaurav: Yes, yes! Sometimes I get lazy, but most of the time I am trying.
Barir ki reaction? Both the families must be overjoyed...
Gaurav: Very happy (smiles ear-to-ear).
Ridhima: I think our parents had given up on us having kids (laughs)! So they were shocked when we announced. They had come over for his birthday and I had gotten these tiny onesies which said dadu, amma and nana. He just handed them out very matter-of-factly and we were recording at the time. They just kept staring at it and his brother (Arjun) finally asked “Is this what I think it is?”, then they realised.
Is there any tip you are taking from your father or brother?
Gaurav: My brother said it is going to be magical, be prepared for that.
Ridhima: The family situation when our parents raised us was very different from what things are now. Like I am guessing my father didn't chnage my diapers but now I am going to make him do that for my baby (smiles).
Ridhima, did you have massive mood swings?
Gaurav: I want to answer that! I confess that Ridhima has not had any mood swings. I have had a lot of mood swings. I have gone from being the happiest to being the crankiest and most panicking state. Sometimes I am on the top of the world. Sometimes I am thinking, will I be able to manage? It’s weird, I keep apologising to her.
What was your first trimester like?
Ridhima: It was scary at the beginning because I did not know what to expect and we could not tell anybody for the longest time. My doctor and Gaurav were my biggest support. That’s the time you have morning sickness, which is actually not morning sickness because you are sick all day. Other than that, I enjoyed my OTT binge, completed shooting for one film, finished dubbing for two films, shot one TVC...
Considering both of you are actors with a busy life, is baby duty roster in order?
Gaurav: Totally! I was shooting till about June-July. Post that, I have not taken any new work as I want to see this through with her. During the first trimester I was shooting for Abar Proloy. Post that I did another project, and since then I have not worked. It was a conscious decision to be around even if I am not doing anything and continue to do so for at least a month after the baby is born to help out with the teething problems.
What is the holy grail to parenting according to you?
Gaurav: Family! It is giving each other time, spending time together. That is very important.
Ridhima: We have prioritised family over work more than once.
Gaurav: Projects have been given up because a family trip has come up which has been planned for months. These are things which you will hold onto when you grow old. It’s not that one project you let go.
Ridhima: I don’t know how we will be as parents but we will figure it out. I just want my child to be as close to his/her/their grandparents as I was to mine. That is one thing I am emotionally adamant about.
Who is going to be a stricter parent?
Gaurav: I believe, I am. We keep talking about it and she keeps saying she will spoil him/her/them, I am like, no, you can’t do that.
Ridhima: When the child grows up and does things I have done, I can’t be a hypocrite and say you can’t. (Laughs)
Gaurav: Same thought process works for me also. If I haven’t done something, you can’t do it either. (Laughs)
Tell us about baby names, have you thought of any?
Ridhima: Since we don’t know the gender of the baby, we have one girl name, one boy name ready.
Gaurav: There was a lot of effort put in to narrow it down to one...
Ridhima: We have gotten a lot of suggestions from family too but it was finally our decision.
Ridhima, unfortunately when an actress takes a break to have a child, there is a lot of stress for her when she joins work. Fat-shaming, and it’s marked as a “comeback” for her... are you feeling the pressure?
Ridhima: To be very honest, no. I have missed being in front of the camera. I know that I will work on a project that I love, but right now my priority is different. For at least a few months, I do not want to work. This newborn phase goes by very quickly. It is unfortunate that you are judged on your body image and you are body-shamed all the time but I am not stressed at all. I am going to make the most of this phase, enjoy and of course get back to work if I like something when the time is right.
Lastly, what is the first thing you are going to do after the baby comes?
Ridhima and Gaurav: Have sushi!
Ridhima: And I want to watch Jawan first and then be ready to deliver a baby (laughs)!
Gaurav and Ridhima looked ethereal in this pastel look. Ridhima rocked a beautiful beige co-ords set from Zara while Gaurav donned a classic white shirt and denim utility pants from the same label. “I used to wear a lot of baggy pants back in college but ever since I met Ridhima my style has gotten better, more classier. I usually stick to classy combos that never go out of fashion. Wearing this pair of denim took me back to the days and it kind of grew on me,” said Gaurav.
“Red is my most favourite colour because it makes me very happy!” said Ridhima wearing this pair of co-ords from Zara teamed with pink heels. Gaurav looked dapper in a pink suit from Besuited Kolkata worn with a white tee and kicks.
One for the album! The parents-to-be wore Dev R Nil for their final look. Ridhima donned separates in a green ensemble that has an assymetrical crop top, emerald green pants and a flowy long jacket. Gaurav rocked the brand's iconic printed pants and white tee.
Ridhima looked dreamy with barely-there makeup and blow-dried hair. Talking about pregnancy, Ridhima said: "I am not much of a reader but I have read two books on pregancy; I keep YouTubing videos on child deliveries and I get freaked out too and I think I will read some more post the baby! The theory bit is done, now how the practical will do is the main thing! Also, I feel a lot of people will give you advice but the parents can decide what's best for the child."
“This is the first time I did a maternity shoot and the whole mood of the styling was easy breezy with silhouettes more comfy and fun. Ridhima wore both warm and vibrant hues, whereas Gaurav kept it monotone to balance it out. I feel a couple who are expecting their first child are the happiest, so whatever you make them wear they look good because the happiness reflects from inside,” said Sumit, stylist.
“I wanted to keep her look very clean and let the natural glow come through. It is a beautiful phase for mom-to-be and they glow naturally. Since Ridhima has great skin, I didn’t want to disturb that,” said make-up pro Abhijit Paul.
Location courtesy: ITC Sonar; styling: Sumit Sinha; make-up: Abhijit Paul; hair: Sananda Laha; accessories: Prism, Zara and H&M
