Pamela Chopra on the new addition to her clan

You can't explain that wonderful feeling

Pamela Chopra on the new addition to her clan " Aditya and Rani's baby " her first grandchild

Upala KBR

Pamela Chopra, gracious matriarch of the Chopra dynasty, wife of the late Yash Chopra and mother of Aditya and Uday, is over the moon! There will be a baby in the Chopra home after 42 years " Uday being the last one. Now Pam's son Adi and daughter-in-law Rani Mukerji are expecting their first baby (due in January 2016). Here, mama Chopra talks about her first grandchild and more. Read on...

After Uday, you will bring home another baby. You must be a happy granny-to-be...

It's difficult to describe the feeling. To say that I am ecstatic or thrilled would be downplaying my emotions... I have been dying to become a grandmother for years now and Adi was just not obliging me. And every time I spoke to Uday about having a child, he would tell me, Don't expect me to get married to give you one...' or Then you have to wait...' When Adi got married, I knew he and Rani were quite ready to have a baby but then it wasn't happening. Finally, one day, when Rani got pregnant, Adi took me very quietly aside in another room as we having dinner with other people and told me. Adi said, Guess what? Rani's pregnant.' I almost screamed out! You can't explain that wonderful feeling; and the fact is that you live with that feeling always... Even now when I think about my grandchild, I feel my heart skip a beat and that fluttery feeling in my stomach. My heart is so full of joy!

Are you looking forward to being a doting grandmother spoiling your grandchild?

(Laughs) I think all grannies spoil their grandchildren. When Adi and Uday were children I was very tough with them. When Yash and I would go on our holidays my mother used to come and spend time with them. I would give her lot of instructions and tell her not to spoil them but she would tell me point-blank " I am going to spoil them! I have come for just two months and I can't become bad in their eyes. You can discipline them for the rest of 10 months you are with them.

Between you and Yashji who was more strict with the children?

I was tougher than Yash as he would spoil them. Anything Adi or Uday would do, my husband was okay with it. He was the doting father. In fact they used to form a clique against me as a trio and make fun of me. When I used to see them together sometimes I would be amazed! They would be playing roly-poly on the bed, always joking and cracking up together. Of course they were mamma's boys too. they would come and tell me things from their girlfriends to anything else. As children, Uday was naughtier though Adi was very naughty too when away from me and not in front of me as he didn't want spoil the impression of being a good child with me (laughs).

What preparations are you doing to welcome your first grandchild? Designing nursery etc?

Adi and Rani don't live in my home, so no. But I would I rather let Rani do everything herself. These days girls have their own set ideas and don't want others to interfere but whenever she needs any advice on anything, she calls me (smiles).

Let's talk about the Chopra bahu...

Rani is a lovely girl. There are some things that I find very special about her. She is a very down-to-earth girl and extremely respectful of me. We have a very good relationship.

How did you react when Adi told you he was marrying Rani?

When Adi told me he wanted to get married to her, quite honestly, I was surprised. He's very low profile and my first thought was how can he get married to an actress because stars are very high profile and always in the news. But then he was too much in love with her. Rani makes him so happy and for me as a mother that's all that matters.

Do you want a baby girl or baby boy as your first grandchild?

That doesn't matter to me at all. It didn't matter when I had my own children and now it doesn't matter when my first grandchild is coming to our home. It's so wonderful to have a baby in the house. I love little babies! They don't squirm when you pick them up and cuddle and hug them.

You feature in the making of the DDLJ video and appear to have lost weight.

I'm doing some physiotherapy and have lost more in inches than weight. Ever since I discovered I had cancer (I'm in remission) 20 years ago, I completely changed my whole eating pattern. I avoid white poisons like sugar and salt. I eat a lot of fruit, high-fibre grains and very small quantities of animal proteins. We cook only with rock salt at home. All these healthy eating habits keep me fit and agile.