Sreeleela accepts is a mother of three adopted kids, but they don’t live with her: ‘It was my secret for the longest time’

Sreeleela, 24, is a mother of three—a fact she kept under wraps for the longest time. But it is not what you might assume. The actress, who made her debut at the age of 18 with the Kannada film Kiss, adopted two differently abled children when she was just 21. Recently, she added a third child to her family. Initially hesitant to speak about it, Sreeleela has now opened up about her adoption journey and how she manages this deeply personal responsibility while juggling multiple film shoots across locations.

Speaking to Galatta Plus, the actress said, “I think sometimes, because we are actors, we are given more credit for things we do that could actually be very normal. Whenever someone in the spotlight does something, it gets exaggerated—that’s just how kind people are. When you say ‘mother’, I think it’s a huge term. I know what exactly you’re referring to, so it’s not what people assume it to be.”

She further clarified, “Unfortunately, I can’t have them stay with me. It’s a completely separate part of my life, and I keep that private. They don’t live with me. They have a set of people who are already taking care of things. They are also children who cannot be out there. Sometimes, I fall short of words when I speak about it. But everything is taken care of.”

Explaining her emotional connection, Sreeleela shared, “I am not a ‘mother-mother’. But the maternal instinct is very strong. I think, as a woman, it starts from a very young age. I tend to mother people around me—that’s the only way I know how to show affection. If I am fond of someone, I’ll start doing the things my mother did for me, which is probably not the best thing. I don’t know if I would be an ideal girlfriend in today’s generation because of that.”

Recalling how the adoption journey began, the actress said, “It was during a film I did early on in my career—a Kannada film. It was about children, so my director took me to an ashram, and that’s where it all started. The children are there; I speak to them on the phone and visit them often. I really wish to do something much bigger and better. This was a secret for the longest time. I remember when the institution told me, ‘We need you to talk about it so that more people feel encouraged.’ The only message I want to give is that I don’t want credit for anything. I want people to start looking in a different direction.”

During the conversation, the young doctor also spoke about a social initiative she recently started. “There’s something I have begun called Here For You!. Through this, we reach out to children, help develop rural areas, and focus on education. These are the activities we do. What I often tell my friends and the youth is that I know everyone is busy, but if we take out a little time and spend it with them, it can create real change and also make you feel better.”

When Sreeleela entered the film industry, she went viral for simultaneously continuing her medical education while acting. Reflecting on that phase of her life, she said, “I am a very empathetic person. The reason I wanted to finish medicine and become a doctor wasn’t just a white-coat fantasy. I loved being a people’s person. I loved being with people. I think both professions are close to people—one makes them happy, the other heals them. God has been kind.”

Interestingly, Sreeleela is not the only actress to have embraced motherhood at a young age. Exactly 25 years ago, Miss Universe Sushmita Sen made headlines when she adopted her first daughter, Renee, at the age of 24—a process that began when she was just 21.

Speaking about her decision on Dr Sheen Gurrib’s YouTube channel, Sushmita Sen shared, “When I legally became an adult at 21, I knew this was what I wanted to do. From 21 to 24, the legal battle began. Once it started, at least I had my daughter with me under foster care. But you live with the constant trauma of, ‘What if the family court does not pass this in my favour? They will take the child back, and now this child has started calling me ‘Ma’.’ I had a plan.”

Crediting her father, she added, “I am so proud of my father. I have my children because of him. In a country that requires either a father or a father figure to adopt a baby, he was told by the court that he had to show financial intent to support my child and sign over half of his assets. My father told the court, ‘I am not a very rich man, so if you take half of that, it will be nothing. I have come to sign unconditionally everything I own in her name.’”

Another actress who made a similar decision was Raveena Tandon, who was just 21 when she adopted two girls in 1994.

Speaking to Verve Magazine, Raveena recalled, “This was before Mohra (1994). My mother and I used to visit orphanages like Asha Sadan on weekends. When my cousin passed away, he left behind two young daughters, Chhaya and Pooja. I didn’t like the way their guardian was treating them, so I brought them home with me. I didn’t think much of it—it came naturally. I wanted to give the girls the life they deserved. I am not a multibillionaire, but I do what I can.”

She added, “Some people wondered what would happen to the children once I got married. They said no one would marry me because I came with ‘excess baggage’. But I said I come in a package deal—my children, my dogs, and me. Take it or leave it. Fortunately, my husband Anil Thadani and my in-laws dote on the girls.”