For musician-couple Shreyas Puranik and Aishwarya Bhandari Puranik, known for songs such as Satranga (Animal, 2023) and Fitoori (Bajirao Mastani, 2015), respectively, life has found a new rhythm. The duo welcomed their first child, a baby girl, on March 23 after years of trying, a moment they describe as “surreal”.
Speaking to us, the couple shares, “It’s been almost a week now, but the feeling hasn’t sunk in yet. We truly feel complete now,” adding, “We were only focused on having a healthy baby. It was the most surreal feeling ever. We have yet to decide the baby’s name.”
Back home, the arrival of the baby has brought an infectious energy. “Everybody was anticipating this, and the excitement has been pro max,” they say with a smile, adding: “It’s overwhelming, overjoyed—everything feels very, very positive.”
The journey to this moment was emotional right from the start. Recalling how she broke the news, Aishwarya shares, “It was July 30, Somu’s birthday. I had just done my test, and we had been trying for a long time, so this came as a surprise to us.” Shreyas adds, “Honestly, it was the best moment. We were waiting for this for a long time. We both got really emotional when we realised it’s happening.”
Elaborating further, the duo shares, “We were only focused on having a healthy baby. We welcomed a baby girl, and it was the most surreal feeling ever. We are yet to decide the baby’s name. We do have a couple of options. It’ll be finalised after the namkaran pooja, which will happen soon.”
Motherhood, Aishwarya admits, has transformed her in ways she hadn’t imagined. “You always hear that when you become a mother, you’ll know. I was someone who was very carefree, but I never thought I’d emotionally connect so much to a little one. My life has completely changed… there’s a living human being completely dependent on me. That responsibility and emotional connection—it’s something unreal.”
For Shreyas, the first moment of holding his daughter was equally profound. “I was very emotional. A life that we’ve wanted for years finally came into our hands. The moment I held her for the first time, it was a very beautiful feeling.”
Even as their priorities have evolved, stepping away from music isn’t on the cards for the new parents. “Priority would have changed completely now, but we want to keep it balanced and as easy-going as possible,” they explain. In fact, their daughter already seems to share their love for music. Aishwarya recalls how a special connection was formed even before birth. “While I was carrying her, there were so many music sessions that we did. There’s this particular unreleased song Shreyas composed during my 37th week. Whenever she gets a little cranky now, I play that song, and she calms down.”
Shreyas adds, “It’s like a lullaby for her. It’s actually a semi-classical love song, but she responds amazingly to it.” As they navigate this new phase, the couple is clear about maintaining a balance between work and family. Travel plans, too, will eventually include their daughter. “In today’s time, it’s no longer like you can’t travel with your little one. Once the 30-35 day period is over, I would want to take her everywhere,” Aishwarya says, adding, “Leaving her even for an hour is very difficult for me right now.”
Shreyas, who is still getting used to certain hands-on aspects like changing nappies, has already found his own way of bonding. “I’m still learning, and I’m a little afraid of changing nappies, but I know how to swaddle. And if she wakes up at night, I take her in my arms and put her to sleep. The moment I start singing, she calms down. She knows the touch—it’s been effortless,” Shreyas says.
