Life has come full circle for actor Alia Bhatt as she raises her daughter Raha with her actor-husband Ranbir Kapoor. She says they make sure they take out time for her, and read her a book every day. Also read: Alia Bhatt talks about her future: Children’s books, bringing up Raha and defining her legacy
On raising Raha
In fact, there are many ways Raha has inspired Alia, as she admits that everything she does these days has a little bit of her daughter’s reflection in some way. The most recent example of the same is turning storyteller for her first children’s picture book, Ed finds a Home expanding the world of her brand, Ed-a-Mamma. She has dedicated the book to Raha.
“Life fully comes full circle because all the books that I didn’t read as a kid I’m now reading as a mom to Raha,” Alia confesses candidly.
The 31-year-old continues, “She will always be a source of inspiration to me, which is why I’ve also dedicated this book to her. And everything I do in life will always have a hint of her in me”.
On Raha’s love for books
When it comes to her daughter, Alia reveals that Raha is addicted to her books at the moment.
“I’ve been reading a book or two or three to her… Sometimes, we read her multiple books every day and every night without fail. This has been our routine. We’ve not missed it one night. Sometimes even in the afternoon when I’m putting her to sleep. That is our routine,” says the actor.
Opening up about Raha’s fascination with books, Alia shares, “Our every night routine is to read her a book. Either me or Ranbir, read her a book. We have not missed a night… She goes to sleep as we read them to her. She loves her books. She loves her books so much that she actually hugs her books to sleep”.
That’s the power of books, exclaims Alia. “The words and imagination through books can connect with your child. That really inspired me while writing the children’s book,” she shares.
Here, the actor, who will soon be seen in Jigra, recalls an interesting incident while working on the book. “When we were about to go into print with this book, I quickly called with a couple of changes. And the changes were all keeping in mind that their parents will be reading them to the kids. So, there’s a certain flow and rhythm that sounds nicer and feels better to the kids ears. You read a book to them and they slowly doze off to sleep,” says the mother of one.
Alia adds, “The changes made so much sense to me at that time because I had been through this experience as a mother, myself, reading her these books”.
About the book
Her book, The Adventures of Ed-a-Mamma: Ed Finds a Home, is a heartwarming tale of a dog meeting a little girl called Alia. It comes packed with an environmental message. It is is a collaboration between Alia as author and Tanvi Bhat as illustrator.
“There is no change which is big or small and there’s no change maker that is big or small. The idea was to start very young. And start with children’s story books, which are also entertaining, but talks about or inculcates a certain responsibility and value within you as a young mind towards your planet, towards your environment, towards the animals that we share the planet with,” she ends.