Tanishaa Mukerji reveals how single mother Tanuja created a strong identity for her and Kajol

Tanishaa with Tanuja and Kajol Pic/Instagram

Veteran actress Tanuja celebrates her birthday on September 23. She met her husband, Shomu Mukherjee on the sets of 'Ek Baar Muskura Do', and got married to him in the year 1973 but parted ways later. The couple share two daughters Kajol and Tanishaa, who are also actors. On Tanuja's birthday, Tanishaa speaks exclusively to mid-day.com on being raised by a single mother, following her footsteps, and more.

How Tanuja raised Kajol and Tanishaa as a single mother

Tanishaa asserts that she and her sister Kajol were brought up to be very strong women, who knew their minds, whether right or wrong. "That's what any mother should do, create a strong identity for her children. One that's not based on what clothes they wear or how many boyfriends they have. How honest are you? How loving are you? What is it that you value in somebody? I think that's what my mom instilled in me."

"We are very straight-up, very honest, clean-hearted people. That's the most beautiful thing a mother can give her child is to have a pure, clean heart, and to think good thoughts about other people. To not be a negative-minded person. There are all these new things like fat shaming and I don't look at people as fat or thin, black or white, big or small. That gift has been given to me by my mother," she adds.

Tanuja always spoke to her children at their level

Tanishaa recalls her mother treating everyone like an equal, including her children. "She never looked down or said something condescending. All our concerns, everything we questioned, even no matter how silly it was, it was like, okay, you feel this way, why do you feel this way? It was always a conversation. I think that was the beauty. She spoke to us at our level. I think every mother needs to be a friend to their child. But at the same time, she did discipline us."

Tanuja made her acting debut in 1960 with 'Chhabili' when she was only 16. This was followed by ‘Memdidi', ‘Jewel Thief', ‘Haathi Mere Saathi', and ‘Do Chor' to name a few.