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Key Points

Ileana D'Cruz has been refreshingly honest about her motherhood journey. She recently opened up about experiencing self-doubt and questioning her abilities as a mother. The actress shared that she's learned to accept these feelings as part of the process. She welcomed her second child with husband Michael Dolan earlier this year.

Key Points: Ileana D'Cruz Opens Up About Not Feeling a Perfect Mother

  • Ileana welcomed second son Keanu Rafe Dolan in June 2025
  • She shared her struggles during Neha Dhupia's Freedom to Feed session
  • The actress realized it's okay to have feelings of doubt
  • She announced her baby's arrival on Instagram in late June
2 min read

Ileana D'Cruz: There were times I felt I wasn't a perfect mother

Bollywood actress Ileana D'Cruz reveals moments of self-doubt and vulnerability in motherhood, sharing her emotional journey with second son Keanu.

Ileana D'Cruz: There were times I felt I wasn't a perfect mother
"“There were times I felt I wasn’t a perfect mother. I broke down so many times, wondering if I was doing things right.” - Ileana D'Cruz"

Mumbai, Sep 3

Actress Ileana D’Cruz, who welcomed her second baby Keanu Rafe Dolan in June, has spoken about how she faced moments of self-doubt and vulnerability where she often questioned herself as a mother.

Opening up about the emotional side of motherhood, Ileana during her conversation with Neha Dhupia during a Freedom to Feed live session said that her journey post-pregnancy was not without struggles.

Ileana said: “There were times I felt I wasn’t a perfect mother. I broke down so many times, wondering if I was doing things right.”

“But slowly I’ve realised it’s okay to have those feelings, it’s all part of the process,” she added.

Ileana, who is married to Michael Dolan, welcomed their first child, Koa Phoenix Dolan, on August 1, 2023, and their second son, Keanu Rafe Dolan, on June 19, 2025.

She took to Instagram to announce the arrival of Keanu.

Sharing the announcement on social media on June 28, the “Phata Poster Nikhla Hero” actress treated her fans and friends with the first picture of her new born baby. The couple welcomed their second son on June 19, 2025.

On the acting front, the actress was last seen in the romantic comedy drama “Do Aur Do Pyaar” directed by Shirsha Guha Thakurta. The film, which also stars Vidya Balan, Pratik Gandhi, and Sendhil Ramamurthy.

The 38-year-old made her screen debut in 2006 with the Telugu-language romantic-drama film Devadasu. She was then seen in films Pokiri, Jalsa, Kick, and Julayi.

She also starred in the Tamil film Nanban. The actress expanded to Hindi cinema in 2012 with Anurag Basu's comedy-drama Barf! She was then seen in films such as box office successes—romantic comedy Main Tera Hero, Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, Happy Ending, Mubarakan, Pagalpanti, The Bigg Bull and the crime thrillers Rustom and Raid.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Respect for speaking about postpartum struggles. In our society, we often expect mothers to be perfect from day one. This normalizes the real experience!
S
Sarah B
As a new mom myself, I completely understand her feelings. The pressure to be perfect is overwhelming sometimes. Good on her for being honest!
A
Arjun K
It's refreshing to see celebrities talk about real parenting challenges instead of just posting perfect family pictures. More power to her! 👏
N
Nisha Z
Two babies so close together must be challenging! Glad she's being open about the emotional side. Indian moms face so much pressure from family and society.
M
Michael C
While I appreciate her honesty, I do wonder if celebrities have access to much more support than regular Indian mothers who struggle silently with similar feelings.
K
Kavya N
Beautiful message for all mothers! Nobody is perfect, and it's okay to have doubts. What matters is the love you give your children 💕

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