“Doctor for 40 years, mother of 2 happy children, and MIL of a genius,” reads Dr Madhu Chopra’s Instagram bio. Yes, she is the mother of a global icon but that doesn’t take away from the niche Dr Chopra has carved for herself. A trained ENT specialist from the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, Dr Chopra has served in the Armed Forces for a major chunk of her life. Years later, she turned back to practise with her Mumbai-based clinic, Studio Aesthetique, a beauty and skin clinic offering aesthetic procedures.
No matter how many accolades she has to her name, Dr Chopra feels no gift in the world can replace the feeling when she held her daughter Priyanka Chopra in her hands for the first time. She calls it magical!
HerZindagi went up close and personal with Dr Madhu Chopra recently ahead of Mother's Day. This year, we are celebrating moms who are fierce, unabashed, and unapologetic and who are better than a mother, like Dr Chopra who never gave two hoots about society during her journey as a mom.
On Not Giving Two Hoots
While a lot of mothers in the country continue to give in to the societal norms when it comes to motherhood, there are mothers like Dr Madhu Chopra who continue to defy it all and don the mama’s hat their way. Speaking of any judgements coming her way, she said, “I always did what I thought was right, what I thought was beneficial, I thought was good for me and my family. As they say, society's views change with time so why did I have to relate with them, why shouldn't the society relate to me, I never cared a bit, at all for these norms, I did what I felt was right and I was very happy for it."
"Yes, I did hear a lot of adverse comments about it but I always cocked a snook at them and I went out with full confidence, they just had to shut up because I had results to show," she added.
The Golden Mantra: Be A Rupaiya, Not A Chawani
"Think yourself as a rupaiya, not as a chawani or the world will take you as a chawani", Dr Madhu Chopra's mantra of self-worth played a key role in the making of the world’s favourite star, Priyanka Chopra. It transformed PeeCee’s life in more ways than one. No wonder she is a global star, looked up by millions today. "What people look at you is just a perception. First things first, you have to value yourself. You decide what you want to be and the world will look at you like that,” spoke Dr Chopra on the beauty of the mantra given to her by her father.
Being The Rational Mama
While a lot of mothers continue to be irrational when it comes to their children, Dr Chopra takes immense pride in always being the logical mama. "I was never irrational. My kids could talk to me about what they wanted, when they wanted, and how they wanted. They could express their emotions as what they felt and I never told them that they were being disrespectful or a wild child. I said, you are feeling wild, show me how wild, you are feeling angry, show me how angry, I am there for you, I am your punching bag, mujhe sunao jo sunana hai (tell me whatever you want to), I know you love me, you know I love you, that's completely undisputed." Dr Chopra never let her kids suppress her emotions, gave them all the freedom and respected their opinions, again, a road less travelled by moms in the country.
On Putting PeeCee Under No Pressures
Not many might be aware of this story but PeeCee's entry to the Miss India was impromptu. It was when Dr Chopra and Priyanka's younger sibling Siddharth randomly sent an entry to the pageant and surprisingly got a positive response. However, during HZ's chat with Dr Chopra, she cleared that there were never any pressures on Priyanka Chopra and even though her father had his own reservations, Dr Madhu asked her husband to let PeeCee go for it and face the opportunity now that it had come to her.
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On Stepping Back For PeeCee's Dreams
Dr Chopra didn't follow her practice during Priyanka Chopra's initial years in showbiz following the beauty pageant. Speaking of the same, she said, "I had to give up my career, my practice and join her because that was the condition placed on me by my family members. My husband's elder brother had asked me to never leave her alone. He said, "humare ghar ki ladkiyan ye sab nahi karti (girls of our house don't indulge in such things)”.
However, there is no regret that Dr. Madhu feels today because she never left her identity as she says her daughter paid her back by gifting her a clinic."See the beauty of it, Priyanka reversed the whole thing and gave me a clinic, she said mom I can't see you sitting at home doing nothing, you have to start practice, she got me back to practice, so, what goes around comes around,” she added.
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On Mom Guilt
While a lot of mothers continue to play their role with a burdened shoulder, Dr Madhu Chopra feels the term mom guilt shouldn't exist in the first place. "If she has decided to wholeheartedly dedicate her life, willingly to her home, it is a good decision for her child. There is nothing to be looked down upon. A homemaker and a mother, it is the highest nature in work. Mom guilt shouldn't be there in the first place, it's a stupid term. I have made a decision, and I know I will be able to handle it, why are you looking down at me? Being a mother is the most superlative, the best, the highest order in the world. You want to be a career woman and a mother, it's cherry on the cake. It depends on the woman how she manages her environment."
Parenting plays a big role in building one’s character and the world’s admiration for Priyanka Chopra serves as enough proof of it. Dr Chopra indeed not only gave her daughter wings to fly but to millions of other girls across the world who today wish to be just like their global icon.