Swara Bhasker: Cannot wait to parent a child through adoption

Swara Bhasker

On Diwali earlier this month, Swara Bhasker visited a local orphanage in Delhi to celebrate the festival with young girls. It was during this visit, interacting and playing with them, that she felt a shift inside. The pangs of motherhood, perhaps? Nothing so dramatic, she insists - just the quiet knowledge that she was ready to start a family. The actor has since registered as a Prospective Adoptive Parent with the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), and is on the waiting list to adopt a child.

Bhasker - who had visited an orphanage in Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, in March - says the idea had been playing on her mind for quite some time, but it's only recently that she arrived at the decision. "There are more than 2.9 crore orphan children in India according to the UNICEF. Less than 5 lakh of them are in orphanages. These are staggering numbers. Moreover, according to the Juvenile Justice [Care and Protection of Children] Act 2015, once these orphans turn 18, the State abandons their care. That means they are on the street," emphasises the actor.

Bhasker celebrated Diwali with the young girls of a Delhi orphanage

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That said, feelings took precedence over facts for Bhasker. "I've always wanted a family and children. I realised that adoption was a way to marry these things. Luckily in India, the State allows single women to adopt. I met many couples who have adopted children, met some children who were adopted and are now almost adults. I read up on the process and experience."

While it's considered an emotionally exhaustive procedure, the actor is grateful to the CARA officials for guiding her throughout. "They helped me understand the [details of the] process [and its requirements]. After all this research, I spoke to my parents, who eventually agreed and are now fully supportive of my decision." With a radiant smile, she adds that she has completed the formalities. "I am now a prospective adoptive parent on CARA. I know the waiting period is long, often as long as three years, but I can't wait to be a parent to a child through adoption." On the work front, Bhasker recently won the Best Supporting Actor award at Soho London Independent Film Festival for Sheer Qorma.

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