Bollywood Hungama

EXCLUSIVE: Shriya Saran recalls preparing for Drishyam 2 eight months after giving birth; says, I was running around. My husband was taking care of our child

The Drishyam franchise has followed Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn), a seemingly ordinary cable operator and film enthusiast who goes to extraordinary lengths to protect his family. As the Hindi trilogy concluded with the release of Drishyam 3 on October 2, 2026, Shriya Saran, who plays Vijays wife Nandini, has opened up about the similarities she sees between herself and her character. In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Shriya recalled the period when she prepared for Drishyam 2 shortly after the birth of her first child. She said that while she considers herself strong, she often doubts whether she can handle difficult situations until she actually gets through them. I can be very strong, but I don't know that I have their strength. A lot of times I'm like, No, I can't do it, and I can't do it until I actually end up doing it, she said. Shriya Saran recalls pregnancy during COVID Shriya then recalled becoming pregnant in Barcelona during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she was away from her family and had to navigate the experience largely on her own. During COVID, I got pregnant in Barcelona all by myself. It was a crazy time. I was without my family for months and had no help. My mother wasn't there, so I was taking care of my child on my own, she recalled. Soon after, Shriya received a call from Panorama Studios about the possibility of making Drishyam 2. She remembered the team checking in on her before discussing the film. I remember getting a call from Panorama Studios. They asked, Aap kaise hain? and then said, Hum Part 2 banane ka soch rahe hain. Obviously, they were wondering whether I was pregnant again. Then they asked, Aapki family planning ka kya status hai? Shriya said. She recalled looking at her child during the conversation as the production plans began to take shape. Shriya had eight months to prepare for Drishyam 2 One of the biggest challenges was the limited time she had between giving birth and starting work on Drishyam 2. Shriya said she had around eight months to prepare physically for the film while also caring for her child. I had literally eight months from the time of my child's birth to the shoot to lose the weight and get everything together, she said. Shriya explained that the preparation happened alongside the responsibilities of being a new mother. She was breastfeeding and pumping while also making time for exercise and other aspects of her routine. While I was breastfeeding and pumping, I was running around. My husband was taking care of our child while I went to the gym, took long walks and ran. I would come back and cook. It was during COVID, so we stayed that way until we decided to come back to India, she added. Shriya sees a part of herself in Nandini For Shriya, that period of her life is one of the experiences that makes her relate to Nandini. While the circumstances faced by the fictional character are very different, she sees a similar sense of resilience in the way both women handle difficult situations. I think that's very common between me and her, Shriya said, referring to the strength she found in herself during that phase of her life. With Drishyam 3 now completing the Hindi trilogy, Shriyas recollection offers a glimpse into the personal circumstances surrounding her preparation for the second instalment and the demanding phase of her life when she returned to the franchise. Also Read:Shriya Saran evokes retro charm in blue polka dot dress from Gauri and Nainika for Drishyam 2 promotions