Actor Madhuri Dixit recently joined her husband, Dr Sriram Nene, on his podcast for an insightful conversation about parenthood, the immigrant experience, patriarchy, and more.
The couple's two sons, Arin and Ryan, also participated in the discussion, as did Dr Nene’s parents. They explored their experiences of living on three different continents, reflecting on the challenges they’ve encountered and how they've adapted to new environments over time.
Dr Nene pointed out that his sons have been afforded "some luxuries" that were not available to his and his parents' generations. Ryan, with a hint of humour, responded that "some" is an "understatement."
Earlier in the podcast, Ryan had addressed his privileged upbringing, to which Dr Nene responded that they had tried to raise him as normally as possible. “In spite of our family background, you’re quite grounded. We never raised you with a spoon in your mouth,” he said.
Ryan humbly remarked, “We grew up in a very different environment to a lot of people that I’ve met. Definitely, we’ve had a much easier time than the average person. Whether or not we’re grounded people, I would never say it myself. I would just hope that people perceive me that way, or rather, I end up behaving that way.”
Dr Nene, also emphasised the importance of humility, saying, “That is okay; you should never be afraid of accepting who you are. You should not be entitled and say that it’s just for you, it’s for everyone and you should be giving back to humanity. You can’t make any excuses because there is no choice you have in the matter of where you are born.”
The family then discussed the contrasts between living abroad and in India. Dr Nene highlighted the immense transformation India has undergone. He asked his parents whether they believe the US is a better place to live, to which his mother replied, “I like being here but I also miss my home.” Having moved abroad in the 1970s, she acknowledged that India has “changed drastically” since then. Dr Nene added, “Opportunity is there, hope is there. Before, we had to outsource most of our stuff from the outside, but now there are people building in India and for India.”
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Dr Nene also noted that each generation faces its own set of challenges. Reflecting on his own journey, he shared, “I was first a UK citizen, and I travelled to the USA by boat and became a citizen there. You guys (Arin and Ryan) had to deal with reverse migration when you came back to India.”
Madhuri Dixit, renowned for her roles in iconic films like Dil Toh Pagal Hai (1997), Hum Aapke Hai Koun (1994), and Devdas (2002), married Dr Sriram Madhav Nene in 1999.
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