Mumbai: Actress Soma Rathod, who is currently seen as Pushpa in Tumm Se Tumm Tak produced by Studio LSD, says she finds happiness in simple things rather than parties, branded shopping or showing off her lifestyle. The actress, who has spent years entertaining audiences through comedy, believes that helping animals and caring for the environment bring her more satisfaction than socialising at industry events.
Talking about why she prefers staying away from parties, Soma says, “I don’t know why, but parties, drinks, showing off or shopping for branded things have never attracted me. I feel I have understood what life is really about, and it is not any of these things.”
Instead, she spends much of her time looking after animals. “I find happiness in feeding dogs. We keep grains and water for birds at home. I have four dogs and two ducks at home, and there are also many dogs outside that I look after. I arrange for their sterilisation and make sure they get food twice a day. I also keep water for them,” she says.
For Soma, these responsibilities are more important than attending social gatherings. “I feel these animals need me more than a party does. Instead of going to a party, I would rather feed someone and make sure that they have something to eat,” she adds.
The actress also admits that she does not have a large circle of friends in the industry. “Do I have friends in the industry? I feel everyone is my friend, and yet no one is my friend. There is no one I particularly want to go out with or spend my time with. I would rather be with children, my dogs and the plants at home. I even grow vegetables on my terrace. I enjoy planting trees and taking care of them.”
Soma says her sensitivity towards others is also something that has stayed with her since childhood. She gets emotional when she sees animals suffering and often finds it difficult to watch videos of injured animals. “I have never learnt acting in a theatre or gone anywhere to study it. I have learnt from life because I relate to everything. If I see an animal that has been hurt and is bleeding, I start crying. My son takes the phone away from me and tells me not to watch such things,” she says.
She believes that her emotional nature helps her connect with the characters she plays. “Whenever I see someone’s pain or happiness, my eyes fill with tears. I feel things deeply. That is just the way I am.”
Soma also feels that the difficult experiences in life have helped her understand herself better. “Pain and difficulties are a part of everyone’s life. I have now realised that these experiences are important. If you want to develop a connection with God and understand it, sometimes you have to go through pain. There were times when I questioned God and wondered why certain things were happening to me. Today, I have answers to those questions. I understand why some things happened the way they did,” she says.
Referring to the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, she adds, “We have been taught that whatever happens, happens for a reason and that something good can come out of it. Today, I believe that.”
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