Sharmila Tagore is introspecting about the time when she first became a mother in 1970 after giving birth to her son, Saif Ali Khan, and admits she was ‘absent’ from his childhood for the first six years. The 79-year-old actor was speaking at a recent Mother’s Day event for YFLO.

An absent mother

The actor was married to late cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan. She also has two daughters, Saba Pataudi and Soha Ali Khan. Looking back at her motherhood journey, Sharmila said, “When I had Saif, I was very busy. I was working two shifts a day and for the first six years of his life, I was really absent. I did whatever I had to do/I went for the parent teachers meeting, attended his plays but I don’t think I was a full-time mom. My husband was there, but I wasn’t. Then when I became a mother, I became an overzealous mother. I wanted to feed him, bathe him and everything. That was the other side of the pendulum. I made a few mistakes, honestly”.

The actor is glad that he has grown up fine. She credits her husband and the support of her extended family and friends to help her sail through that time.

“One of his school teachers would live across the apartment in Mumbai. She and her husband really looked after Saif as well… For the girls I was there,” she admitted.

What she said in the past

Long back during an appearance in Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai in 2012, Sharmila talked about motherhood. She was joined by her daughters Soha Ali Khan and Saba Ali Khan on the show. In the episode, she had said when Saif was born, she was working “non-stop”. She reduced her work hours when she had her daughters. At the time of Saif’s birth, Sharmila said she was doing “two-shifts”.

“Sometimes I would not see him three-four days in a row. But by the time my daughters were born, I wasn’t working that much, so there wasn’t any filmy atmosphere at home,” she said at the point.

On the work front, Sharmila was appreciated for her role in web film, Gulmohar. Meanwhile, Saif will be seen in Devara, which also stars Jr NTR in the lead. The film also marks Janhvi Kapoor’s debut in the South film industry. Saif will be seen in the role of a police officer in the Telugu-language film.

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