Drishyam 3 actor Shriya Saran has opened up about balancing motherhood and acting, praising the film’s team for accommodating her responsibilities as a new mother during the making of the franchise’s recent instalments.
Shriya, who plays Nandini Salgaonkar in the Drishyam films, recalled that her daughter was only eight months old when she worked on Drishyam 2. Speaking to India Today, the actor said the production team was understanding of her situation and sometimes allowed her to leave the set before even co-star Ajay Devgn.
Her comments also reflect how motherhood has influenced the kind of films she wants to take on.
Shriya Saran recalls the support she received on Drishyam 2 and 3
Shriya said the makers were particularly considerate of her responsibilities at home when she returned to the Drishyam franchise after becoming a mother.
“My daughter was eight months old when I did Drishyam 2. And in Part 3, of course, she’s older. But they were very supportive,” she said.
The actor recalled that the team would sometimes arrange for her to leave early after completing her work for the day.
“After the shoot, they used to send me off earlier, sometimes even before Ajay sir, because they were like, ‘She is a new mother.’ They’re very kind, sweet, and I’m grateful to them,” Shriya said.
For the actor, that flexibility appears to have made it easier to continue working while remaining closely involved in her daughter’s early years.
Shriya wants her daughter to be proud of her films
Motherhood has also changed how Shriya approaches her career.
The actor said she now wants to be more selective about the projects she takes on, particularly because she wants to spend more time with her daughter.
“See, I have to be mindful, of course. I want to spend a lot more time with my daughter, and I want to do films that I know one day my daughter will be proud of,” she said.
Shriya added that she hopes her daughter will eventually look back at her work and appreciate the choices she made as an actor.
“I want her to get up and say, ‘You know, Mama, that was a great film. And I’m glad that you did this film,’” she added.
The comment offers a personal perspective on how becoming a parent can influence an actor’s priorities without necessarily bringing a career to a halt.
Drishyam 3 continues Shriya Saran’s association with the franchise
Shriya has been part of the Drishyam franchise as Nandini Salgaonkar, the wife of Ajay Devgn’s Vijay Salgaonkar.
The latest instalment, Drishyam 3, continues the story of the Salgaonkar family and has attracted significant attention at the box office. The film’s reported worldwide collections have crossed the ₹300 crore mark, according to the figures cited in the source material.
For Shriya, the franchise has also represented a return to a character she has played across multiple instalments while navigating the changes in her personal life.
Working mothers and changing expectations in the film industry
Shriya’s comments come at a time when conversations around motherhood and working conditions in the entertainment industry are receiving increased attention.
The question of how film productions accommodate actors with young children has become part of a wider discussion about schedules, working hours and the practical challenges faced by working mothers.
Parineeti Chopra, who became a mother last year, has also spoken publicly about her desire to continue acting after having a child.
At the trailer launch of her web series Shaque, Chopra said she would not want motherhood to mean the end of her career. She also argued that audiences continue to watch stories featuring mothers and that the industry can create space for actors to continue working after having children.
Chopra has also pointed to actors including Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra Jonas as examples of women continuing their careers while embracing motherhood.
Shriya Saran on balancing family and films
For Shriya, the experience of working on Drishyam 2 and Drishyam 3 appears to have reinforced the value of a supportive workplace.
Her comments do not suggest that balancing an acting career with motherhood is effortless. Instead, they highlight how practical support from a production team can make a meaningful difference to a new mother returning to work.
As she continues her career, Shriya says she wants to maintain that balance while choosing projects that she can eventually feel proud of—and that her daughter can also appreciate.
