'There was no excess money', Soni Razdan on giving a 'middle-class' upbringing to daughters Alia and Shaheen

A doting mother to her daughters, Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt, Soni Razdan has been through all the odds, standing strong by her daughters’ side. While being a successful actress and then married to Mahesh Bhatt, one of the most successful producers in the industry, the actress made sure to provide her kids with a “middle-class” type upbringing. In her latest interview, Soni Razdan revealed how she made them travel economy class, stating that the family couldn’t afford three business class tickets. Further explaining her actions, Razdan said that she wanted to emphasise that they hadn’t earned enough to justify travelling in business class. When Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt travelled economy class During her conversation with Rashmi Uchil for her book ‘Raising Stars,’ Soni Razdan began by recalling their trip to Dubai. Noting that she was accompanied by her daughters, she recounted getting a first-class ticket for herself and choosing economy-class tickets for the kids. She also recalled how Alia and Shaheen made faces after she told them about her decision, further explaining the reason behind the same. Razdan stated that her straightforward principle is that they can travel business class once they are capable of earning the same and can afford a first-class ticket. The veteran actress also recounted an incident that took place on the flight. As she went to check on her kids, the actress recalled noticing a discomforting situation when the person in the front seat had reclined, leaving very minimal space for her daughters. However, while she suggested addressing the issue, the girls behaved very considerate as they chose not to intervene. Looking back at it now, the actress emphasised that it was not a very significant issue. Not just that, Soni Razdan also reflected on the family’s financial circumstances back then. “While we never had abundance, we still managed well giving the children a middle-class upbringing with no excess money,” she said further adding they used to live in a 2BHK apartment until 2004. They had a Maruti Zen, which the actress used to drive personally to take them to school. She also revealed that their conditions further improved only after Mahesh Bhatt turned into a producer, however, also adding that he had responsibilities for two households due to his previous marriage to Kiran Bhatt.