Shweta Bachchan Nanda, daughter of legendary actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, may have stayed away from acting, but she has always spoken candidly about motherhood. In an old interview, Shweta opened up about raising her children—Navya Naveli Nanda and Agastya Nanda—and admitted that she has been stricter with her daughter than her son.When asked if she had been harsher on Navya, Shweta agreed without hesitation and explained why. She told Barkha Dutt, “I’ve been tougher on Navya, because I feel the world isn’t easy on women, and you have to be that much stronger, and that much more vigilant and careful. Not about deadlines or stuff like that. Also, their personalities are very different.”She further spoke about how Navya and Agastya differ as individuals, adding, “I would like to think that Agastya’s an old soul. Navya is a little naive, and I’m a little more non-trusting of certain friends and relationships. I would be a little careful about (things), and talk to her about… Of course, she has the liberty to live her life the way she wants.”
The belly piercing incident that led to a big argument
During the same conversation, Shweta recalled a rare but intense disagreement she once had with Navya—over a belly piercing. She revealed that she had strongly disapproved of the idea, but Navya went ahead and got it done anyway.Sharing the incident, Shweta said, “The only time we had a really big disagreement about something she wanted to do, and I really vetoed it in a really strong way was the belly piercing. She had it done, and I just removed it.”The anecdote offered a glimpse into Shweta’s protective side as a mother and how strongly she feels about certain choices when it comes to her daughter.
‘Navya has a lot of my mother in her’: Shweta on the Jaya Bachchan connection
Towards the end of the interview, Shweta reflected on how Navya closely resembles her mother, Jaya Bachchan, in temperament and conviction. Drawing parallels between the grandmother and granddaughter, she said, “I think Navya has a lot of my mother in her. She has a lot of conviction, and it’s not easy to shake that. She’s passionate about a lot of causes, and is vocal about them.” She concluded by acknowledging Navya’s confidence, adding, “She’s comfortable about coming on stage and talking about things she believes in than someone like me; I’m very shy, and not good at all this.”
