When Tanuj Virwani dropped his mother, actress Rati Agnihotri, at the airport in March 2020, little did he know that he would not get to see her for well over a year-and-a-half. The actress was stationed in Poland with her sister during the pandemic. Rati recently returned home and celebrated her birthday with her son and husband yesterday. “It has been two years since we celebrated mom’s birthday at home. It’s crazy! I had never thought that it would take this long to see my mother again in person. She was expected to return in August, but her pet needed a passport, which pushed things to September. Eventually, my aunt requested her to be around till Diwali. She only returned to Mumbai in the second week of November,” says Tanuj.
Rati says, “It has taken very long for us to be able to spend this time together. I had to set my emotions aside, looking at the way things were unfolding all over the world. Tanuj didn’t want me to travel until things got better in Mumbai, although I got vaccinated much earlier. I’ve never been away from my child for anything longer than two months; this was almost two years. I travel often, but this journey was hard on both of us and yet, a much smaller sacrifice in comparison to what so many suffered.”
On the day she returned to Mumbai, Tanuj landed at the airport to surprise his mother, who thought he was busy shooting. “I had a shoot scheduled in Benares, but it was cancelled at the last minute, and I didn’t tell mom. I surprised her at the airport instead, and there we were, crying and smiling at the same time. She was looking tired and yet so happy. The house has suddenly gone from being a bachelors’ pad to a home. Her presence was missed. Although I wasn’t too well, we had an intimate celebration for my birthday also a few days ago. We had a good weekend at our farmhouse, too.”
Rati adds, “When I came out of the airport, I just wanted to go home and sleep in my bed. I saw my husband waiting outside and then, out of nowhere, Tanuj popped out. It became so dramatic! I was overwhelmed with emotions to see him. We went home and chatted till sunrise. I might have to travel again, but not immediately. I just want to be with my child.”
Talking about her birthday celebrations, she says, “I left the planning to Tanuj. I am not a party person, so that was out of the question. I like being with my family on birthdays. Tanuj had taken the day off for me and that’s the best present he could have given me.”
Rati says, “It has taken very long for us to be able to spend this time together. I had to set my emotions aside, looking at the way things were unfolding all over the world. Tanuj didn’t want me to travel until things got better in Mumbai, although I got vaccinated much earlier. I’ve never been away from my child for anything longer than two months; this was almost two years. I travel often, but this journey was hard on both of us and yet, a much smaller sacrifice in comparison to what so many suffered.”
On the day she returned to Mumbai, Tanuj landed at the airport to surprise his mother, who thought he was busy shooting. “I had a shoot scheduled in Benares, but it was cancelled at the last minute, and I didn’t tell mom. I surprised her at the airport instead, and there we were, crying and smiling at the same time. She was looking tired and yet so happy. The house has suddenly gone from being a bachelors’ pad to a home. Her presence was missed. Although I wasn’t too well, we had an intimate celebration for my birthday also a few days ago. We had a good weekend at our farmhouse, too.”
Rati adds, “When I came out of the airport, I just wanted to go home and sleep in my bed. I saw my husband waiting outside and then, out of nowhere, Tanuj popped out. It became so dramatic! I was overwhelmed with emotions to see him. We went home and chatted till sunrise. I might have to travel again, but not immediately. I just want to be with my child.”
Talking about her birthday celebrations, she says, “I left the planning to Tanuj. I am not a party person, so that was out of the question. I like being with my family on birthdays. Tanuj had taken the day off for me and that’s the best present he could have given me.”
