Radhika Apte says she was ‘prepared’ for postpartum depression while having baby: ‘So difficult to look after a child’

Actor Radhika Apte, who welcomed her child in December last year, opened up about the emotional highs and lows that followed the birth of their baby.

Actor Radhika Apte, who welcomed her child in December last year with husband, musician Benedict Taylor, recently opened up about the emotional highs and lows that followed the birth of their baby. (Also Read: Radhika Apte brings daughter to India for the first time: ‘Mum chose the best month for a Mumbai intro’)

Radhika Apte and Benedict Taylor welcomed a baby girl in December last year.

Radhika Apte on motherhood

In a candid conversation with ANI, Radhika shared that she had mentally prepared herself for "postpartum." The actor also shared that she had spoken to her close ones beforehand, just in case she needed support.

"I was very prepared for postpartum, actually. And I had also made sure that my friends and family were aware that if I went into postpartum depression, they needed to support me. To my own surprise, I was just purely elated when I had a child. And fortunately, I didn't suffer from severe depression at any point," she said.

However, Radhika didn't shy away from sharing the tough parts, too and spoke about the emotional rollercoaster that comes with being a new parent.

"But a child, it's so difficult to look after a child 24/7. It's such a huge change in your life that there are many days and moments of feeling terribly low and lost, as well as feeling elated and in love with your child. There are moments when you have no idea what you think, and you feel emotionally quite tired and low," she added.

"Also, sleep deprivation doesn't help with that. So, it's a constant up and down, I think, this new journey. And it's very, very natural and normal to feel that way," the actor further said.

On her recent film Sister Midnight

On the work front, Radhika's latest film Sister Midnight hit Indian theatres on 30 May. The film, a dark comedy filled with punk energy, was earlier screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023. Radhika is seen playing the role of Uma, a bold and rebellious woman who challenges societal norms, especially those around arranged marriage.

Speaking about the character, Radhika said Uma may seem wild, but is deeply relatable. "I mean, I don't think she's a very, very different character from Indian women. In fact, I think that I've seen a lot of Indian women with the same amount of... Basically, she's quite feral. And I've seen a lot of women like that," she shared.

Sister Midnight is Karan Kandhari's directorial debut.