MUMBAI: Esha Deol says she got a ‘humble’ upbringing: ‘I travelled in rickshaws’

MUMBAI: Esha Deol said that even though her
parents, Dharmendra and Hema Malini,
were superstars, her childhood was normal. She said that she travelled in
rickshaws and trains when she was younger.

In an
interview, Esha reflected on her childhood and said that there was no paparazzi
culture back then. She added that she chooses to keep her daughters, Radhya and
Miraya, out of the public eye.

Speaking
to a leading daily, Esha said, “Yes, my parents are superstars… They are
legends, but both of them have been excellent in bringing us up in a humble and
down-to-earth manner with a lot of discipline, and have instilled sanskaar, and
taught us to respect our elders. I give them the complete credit of giving us a
normal childhood. Even in the school that they sent us to, we were treated
normally, not as star kids. I travelled in rickshaws. I played a lot of sports
back then and we had to go to tournaments at various places around the country
and we all travelled by train. People who know me today, know that I can be as
normal as I can be.”

Esha said
that when she was a child, there was no paparazzi culture, and she could easily
do what she wanted. She added that the most that people would do is point at
her and say that she was Dharmendra and Hema’s daughter.

“Today, I
think it is the culture that we have picked up. The paparazzi are just doing
their job; they have always given a lot of respect to my family and me. If I am
ever not comfortable being photographed, they don’t click me. I share a lovely
understanding with them. My kids are for my husband, family, and me, and I
prefer to keep them private; it is me who is a public figure. I want my kids to
have a normal childhood too,” she added.

Esha, who
has acted in films such as Yuva, Dhoom, Dus and No Entry, recently made her
debut as a producer with a short film titled Ek Duaa. She will be seen next in
the Disney+ Hotstar series Rudra – The Edge Of Darkness opposite Ajay Devgn.