Lavanya Tripathi Reveals the Emotional Struggles of Returning to Work as a New Mother
For actress Lavanya Tripathi, the most difficult aspect of resuming her professional career after becoming a mother wasn't the demanding schedules or the bright studio lights. Instead, it was the seemingly simple, everyday actions that brought unexpected waves of helplessness and guilt.
The Overwhelming Guilt of Working Motherhood
"Like dressing up for an interview," Lavanya explains, "When you're in makeup and certain clothes, you can't touch your baby. He was looking at me and I felt so much guilt." The actress, now five months into motherhood, confesses that this emotional burden has been more challenging than any professional hurdle. "I have so much respect for mothers who work and take care of their child. This guilt is more than anything else," she adds with heartfelt sincerity.
Lavanya describes navigating a significant emotional shift as she transitions back to her acting commitments. "I was in this zone of just taking care of my child and suddenly I had to break that and come back to reality," she shares. Life after welcoming her baby boy has transformed completely in ways that no film schedule could have prepared her for.
Motherhood's Complete Transformation
"Before, I had all the time for myself. Right now, all my time, my thoughts... literally everything revolves around my son," Lavanya reveals. While she says motherhood hasn't brought dramatic surprises—thanks largely to years spent babysitting her sister's children—one profound realization has stayed with her: how maternal instinct overrides physical exhaustion.
Recalling how she used to watch her sister wake up every twenty minutes to feed her baby and wonder how she managed, Lavanya says, "I hated waking up in between my sleep. But now I understand—you don't feel tired even when you are. That maternal instinct just takes over."
The actress adds, "I took my own sweet time to take on this challenge, though it doesn't feel like a challenge because I'm enjoying it. I always wanted to be a mom, and now I just want to enjoy every bit of it."
Secret Pregnancy During Filming
In a surprising revelation, Lavanya completed her comeback film Sathi Leelavathi while in her first trimester—a secret she successfully kept from the entire film crew. "At the muhurtam itself, I was pregnant and no one knew," she discloses.
Initially underestimating the physical demands, she soon found herself battling severe nausea and migraines while traveling daily to the film sets. "I was vomiting, I had migraines and it felt like someone shook me in a box. Every day after the shoot, I'd go to the hospital to check if everything was fine," she recalls vividly.
Despite these health challenges and constant fear, Lavanya completed the entire film, including a demanding dance sequence. "That's why I'm not doing everything with full force," she notes about her current approach to work.
She describes Sathi Leelavathi as a modern drama that flips the traditional image of the suffering wife. "This woman knows what she wants. When her husband says he's leaving, she's like, 'Who are you to leave me?'" she explains, characterizing the film as an entertainer rather than a moral lesson.
A Supportive Partnership at Home
Back at home, Lavanya lights up when speaking about her husband Varun Tej's active involvement in parenting. "He wants to be a part of everything," she laughs, adding, "He's more into it than me sometimes. I tell him, please let me do a few things!"
From diaper duty to nighttime routines, she emphasizes that Varun is fully present and engaged. "He's equally there. Anything I need, he's there," she states gratefully.
This easy partnership stems from their foundation of strong, open communication. "Varun and I are best friends. We listen, we don't bottle things up," Lavanya explains. "Whenever we don't like something, we say it. The other person doesn't get defensive. We just listen, acknowledge, and grow."
Privilege and Honest Advice
As she settles into this new rhythm of balancing motherhood and career, Lavanya is careful about the advice she gives other women, approaching the topic with honesty and awareness of her own circumstances.
"My advice would be different because I am privileged," she acknowledges candidly, recognizing that not all mothers have the same support systems and resources available to them.
