The leggy, elegant, articulate model Alesia Raut Surryavanshi is a revelation of sorts. She engages herself in an animated conversation: from powering the numero uno pageant institute in the country, Cocoaberry (with her sister Anjali Raut), to her experiences on the ramp and increasing passion for choreography and balancing her work out with the time she prioritises with her family. Married to actor Siddhaant Surryavanshi, Alesia has her hands full with two teens: Diza, 15, from her husband’s first marriage, and Mark, 13, from her first marriage.
Excerpts from a conversation with Express Parenting:
How’s it going, with two teenagers?
Getting along. Mark and Diza are as thick as thieves, and often gang up against my husband (Siddhaant Surryavanshi). They love to trouble him.
How did Mark react to yours and Siddhaant’s decision to get married?
He was happy as he missed having a dad. He dotes on Siddhaant.
Do the four of you stay together?
Diza stays with her mother but comes over often to spend time with us. We are a team: the four of us, and work on our relationship. We always talk and iron out any problem if it arises. I understand and respect that there are certain boundaries. I think it is important for all of us, as mothers, to watch our tone while talking to our children. Else well-intended advice can be misconstrued as a jibe.
What is your biggest takeaway from modelling?
I am 5 ft 10 inches tall and as a kid used to feel that I stuck out like a sore thumb owing to my height. Apart from my brother, no one around was taller than me! I began to develop a complex, and started lacking self-confidence to speak and express myself. My mother suggested I become a model, and then I flowered. My biggest learning has been in my self-realisation and self-worth
Shilpi Madan for The Indian Express