“Acting is in my DNA,” mentioned Tanishaa Mukerji, responding to a query about her profession decisions. Daughter of Tanuja and sister of Kajol, Tanishaa described herself as somebody who likes to have her hand “in lots of pots”. She added that through the years, she has solely focussed on honing her expertise as an artiste.
In a candid interview with indianexpress.com, the Sssshhh… actor opened up about following in her mom’s footsteps, navigating the highs and lows of the business, prioritising psychological and bodily well being, and shared the one factor most individuals don’t find out about her. Learn the edited excerpts beneath:
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO
Q. From 2003 to 2025, how would you describe your journey?
Tanishaa Mukerji: It’s been a wonderful, blessed journey, and I’m totally grateful to the universe. I credit score my mom for serving to construct my confidence as an artiste, particularly within the early years. Given the legacy I come from, there’s inspiration throughout. Every function has been instructional in its personal method. And now, with extra women-led tales being informed, I sit up for stronger roles.
Story continues beneath this advert
Q. Has your profession formed up the best way you imagined?
Tanishaa Mukerji: I’ve by no means believed in stopping. No matter challenges got here my method, I focussed on enhancing myself and evolving right into a 360-degree artiste. I’ve revered all mediums – movies, actuality exhibits, dance exhibits – and completed all of it. There’s nonetheless a protracted highway forward, and I’m excited to maintain going. Studying from my errors and rising with every step makes me happy with how far I’ve come.
Q. Do you ever remorse venturing into the leisure business?
Tanishaa Mukerji: Completely not. My household, the Mukerjis, has been synonymous with the movie business. We’ve entertained folks as actors, administrators, and producers. Appearing is in my DNA. It’s my ardour, and I really like each little bit of it.
Q. Was performing at all times the plan, or was it about carrying the legacy ahead?
Tanishaa Mukerji: I grew up desirous to be precisely like my mother. I admired the whole lot she did. However I didn’t consider performing as a profession initially; I needed to complete my research first. Appearing was at all times one thing I needed to strive, and due to my grandmother’s encouragement, I ultimately did. It turned a profession a lot later. Lengthy gaps between films have been frequent again then, making it more durable. Nonetheless, I’ve by no means believed in doing only one factor. I really like multitasking and having my hand in lots of pots.
Q. In all these years, have you ever ever thought-about a change in career?
Tanishaa Mukerji: Under no circumstances. Quite the opposite, I’ve diversified throughout the leisure area. I explored actuality exhibits like Bigg Boss, Khatron Ke Khiladi, and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, all of which felt like presents from God to push me additional and enhance. I’ve additionally completed English theatre and acted in two performs. I now have my very own manufacturing home and need to create and direct significant content material. Manufacturing has at all times been part of our household, so this looks like a pure extension.
Q. When you turn out to be an actor, the highlight by no means leaves. How do you deal with the stress and perks of superstar life?
Tanishaa Mukerji: The stress is actual. From public scrutiny and fixed comparisons to inner and exterior expectations, superstar life isn’t simple. Now, we even have social media trolling including to it. However I don’t lose sleep over what others consider me. Trolls get blocked. I focus my vitality on constructive issues. As for perks, there are loads: journey, garments, pampering, precedence providers, grand invites. It’s pretty, however I at all times ensure that to remain grounded and by no means take it without any consideration.
Story continues beneath this advert
Dino Morea and Tanishaa Mukerji in a nonetheless from their movie Sssshhh… (Photograph: Categorical archive)
Q. With rejections, bodily transformations, field workplace failures, and different pressures, an performing profession may be mentally exhausting. How do you take care of your psychological well being?
Tanishaa Mukerji: Psychological well being is essential for everybody, not only for actors. For me, social media is just an non-obligatory enjoyable train, not a necessity. Yoga, kriya, and breathwork assist me maintain a optimistic thoughts. I strongly consider in selecting spirituality over medicine. Past this, I spend time with my family members – nieces and nephews – and canine, and carve out some ‘me time’. I learn lots – it opens up the thoughts in methods past what one can think about. Challenges may be laborious, however these little issues maintain me centred.
Q. What about bodily well being? How do you keep self-discipline with meals and exercises?
Tanishaa Mukerji: For me, it’s a few disciplined, balanced, and holistic method to bodily well being and food plan. Not simply the aesthetics, feeling sturdy, energised, and being mentally clear is equally essential to me. Health is a life-style, not a punishment. My day begins with heat water and lime, adopted by morning yoga. I at all times make time, at the very least an hour, for train – be it cardio, pilates, weights, biking, and stretching. It’s like my prayer; it grounds me.
Relating to meals, I choose home-cooked meals – healthful and comforting. I eat rice, dal, ghee, sabzi in the precise parts. Fried junk meals is a no. I deal with intestine well being, keep hydrated, and drink coconut water. I maintain caffeine low, particularly later within the day. And sure, seven to eight hours of excellent sleep is non-negotiable. My aim is consistency, not perfection.
Q. The key to your glowing pores and skin and hair is…
Tanishaa Mukerji: Skincare for me is about simplicity – moisturising and making use of tonnes of sunblock. If it’s not easy, it could’t be completed day by day. I do common facials at salons, and typically DIY ones utilizing lemon and cucumber juice for tanning, and egg yolk for hair nourishment. Oiling hair is essential, and I at all times use heat-protection cream when styling. And sure, I’m genetically blessed, however intestine well being and food plan additionally play an enormous function in good pores and skin and hair.
Q. One factor not many individuals find out about you?
Tanishaa Mukerji: Effectively, not many individuals know that I really like writing poetry.
Story continues beneath this advert
Q. What’s the most difficult transformation you’ve undergone for a job? How did it have an effect on you?
Tanishaa Mukerji: For Neal ’n’ Nikki, I adopted a strict low-carb, low-fat food plan to get washboard abs and misplaced a lot weight shortly. However girls’s our bodies aren’t constructed to maintain such low fats, as it’s important for oestrogen manufacturing. That’s why abs are laborious to take care of until you’ve adopted a sure way of life since childhood, like ballerinas or athletes. A flat abdomen is achievable with a balanced mindset, food plan, and train, however a visual six-pack isn’t at all times potential, wholesome, and even pure for ladies.
After the shoot, I gained weight even whereas understanding. That’s after I realised hormonal steadiness issues. Girls can’t maintain pushing by; we have to work in response to our hormonal cycles. That’s how we’ll be fitter and happier.
