Actress Bidita Bag has established a name for herself in the OTT space over the years. Currently, she is seen in the Disney+ Hotstar series Teen Do Paanch, opposite Shreyas Talpade. The duo portrays a couple who adopts triplets but soon find out that they are pregnant themselves.
Talking about the show, Bidita says that she said yes to it because she could relate to the story. “It has been more than seven years of marriage for this couple but they couldn’t conceive, and I have seen such kinds of couples in my friend circle as well,” she shares, adding that in the show, she and Shreyas are shown as that couple, who eventually plan to adopt. However, the kid that they want to adopt turns out to have two more siblings, and they end up adopting the triplets. “The twist in the story comes when after a few days, my character discovers that she is also pregnant.”
Bidita believes the story is much more apt for the time that we are living in today. “I think this story is more relevant today as due to Covid many kids have lost their parents recently. If we can adopt them or fund their studies and take care of them, that would be a great thing,” she says, adding that even celebrities like Sonu Sood have requested the central and state government to take responsibility for the kids who got orphaned due to this pandemic. “I feel that if not just the government, but also the people come forward to help, it would be great. And there is always space for adoption.”
Bidita is single and not a mother yet, but in the show, she got to experience motherhood that too with multiple kids. Ask her how it was and she responds that it was great. “These kids brought a different kind of joy to me and it was a very fulfilling experience. I did have a motherly feeling for them and they were very cooperative,” she shares.
However, Bidita informs that the kids were also very smart and knew the power they held over everyone on set. “We were shooting in very hot weather in real locations. The temperature was about 37-40 degree centigrade. For inside scenes, all the lights would be on and we would close all the windows, ACs and fans for better sound quality. It felt like a chimney and the kids would become cranky and start crying at times. Sometimes we would have to bribe them as well with chocolates, but had to be calculative too as when they realised the power they had, they would throw tantrums and start manipulating us,” she remembers fondly, adding that when she delivered in the show, the number of babies on set increased. “So, I have had experience with kids across age groups now.”
So, when is she planning to embrace motherhood in real life? “I am single and want to become a mom, but I can’t find a suitable partner for myself. I am not getting any younger and this pressure builds up on you from your parents as they keep asking when you are getting married. They point out that I am getting older and it might get difficult for me to conceive later, and that kind of builds up,” Bidita iterates.
But just like in the show, will she be open to adoption in real life? “Yes, I will be open to adoption and people should adopt, but right now I live alone and am so busy that it will be difficult for me to manage kids. After a lot of difficulty, I have become a plant mom. Now, since I am in Kolkata and my plant is in Mumbai, I am constantly worried if they are getting watered or not. So, worrying about kids is going to be a thousand times harder,” she asserts.
However, Bidita does her bit to help the kids in her own way. “What I do is that I donate a portion of what I earn to child care and child relief organisations, so that those kids can receive their education,” she informs.
Bidita informs that a lot of people have been liking her show a lot. “Since many people are getting pregnant during this lockdown, they are especially relating to it,” she smiles, sharing the responses that she has been getting. “The other day, a man told me that his wife was pregnant. In the show, I get cranky a lot of times, and he said that my expressions match with his wife’s. One other person called Shreyas to tell him that he is too old to adopt but he wanted to do something after watching our show. There are some underprivileged kids in that person’s area and so he will be going to fund their education. There is a positive impact coming in the society through this show,” she says gleefully.
Image source: Instagram/biditabag