23 September,2026 08:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Richa Chadha. Pic via Instagram
Richa Chadha has opened up about why she chose to step away from acting after welcoming her daughter, Zuneyra Ida Fazal, with actor Ali Fazal. The actor revealed that a difficult recovery following childbirth left her needing considerable time to regain her health, even as she remained involved in her work behind the scenes.
In an interview with News18, Richa recalled deliberately keeping away from the camera during the early months of motherhood. "I wanted to be seen less. I wanted to have my nesting period," she said. However, the break did not mean she completely stopped working. Within months of giving birth, Richa was deeply involved in taking Girls Will Be Girls to audiences.
She recalled juggling multiple responsibilities, including discussions with streaming platforms, the film's release and other production-related work. "Six to eight months after my delivery, I was working very hard to get Girls Will Be Girls out," she said, adding, "It was a lot. And it really took a toll on my body."
The actor also spoke candidly about the physical impact of childbirth and why returning to the camera was not immediately an option. "I couldn't work because I had a natural delivery and I had lost a lot of blood. It took me a long time to recover, health-wise," she said. "My brain was foggy. At that time, how could I have possibly gone out to work?"
Despite the health challenges, Richa continued contributing to projects away from the spotlight. She completed a show for an OTT platform and also worked on research for Musafiri, an upcoming eight-episode non-fiction series that she has written, hosted and produced. Now, the actor says she is ready to return to acting. "I'm starting a film tomorrow. So, hopefully, you'll see much more of me," she shared.
Before becoming a mother, Richa was seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi. She is now set to return to films with Anubhav Sinha's Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai, which also features Prateik Patil and Cyrus Broacha.
Meanwhile, Girls Will Be Girls, which Richa backed as a producer, had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition before arriving on Amazon Prime Video. The film received critical acclaim during its festival run.
Richa and Ali Fazal, who legally married in 2020 and celebrated their wedding festivities in 2022, welcomed their daughter Zuneyra on July 16, 2024. She will next be seen in Musafiri, an eight-episode series whose first episode premieres on September 25.
