International Women's Day 2020: Bigg Boss 13 Winner Sidharth Shukla Says "Toughest" Part Of Show Was Staying Away From Mom

On International Women's Day, Bigg Boss 13 winner Sidharth Shukla featured in a post for Humans Of Bombay, in which he opened up about his mother Ritu Shukla and how being away from her was the "toughest part of the show." Calling his mother "the most important person" of his life, Sidharth, 39, said: ""People know me as a man with a rough exterior. But the one person I will always melt for is my mom. Right from the time I was born, she's been the most important person in my life. I was the youngest of three kids and too small to play with my sisters, so I was always around mom. Apparently back when I was a toddler, I would start crying if I had to go a second without her - so even when she had to make rotis, she would hold me in one hand and the roller in another!"

"And as I grew older, she became my best friend! Every time I came back home after playing in the building, we'd talk about everything under the sun - at an age where children were hiding things from their parents, I wanted to tell her all about my life! She's taught me so much too - I remember being a really mischievous child who would always get away with trouble. But when mom sat me down and told me to always be honest, I immediately owned up to my mistakes," he added.

Sidharth also talked about his father's death and revealed his mom was his "rock" through it all. "When my dad passed away 15 years ago, it felt like the umbrella over us had been taken away. But my mom, being the strong woman that she is, was our rock through it all. She never showed any signs of vulnerability. Despite our poor finances, she seamlessly ran the household, looked after three children and always fulfilled our demands! I realize now that she must've had to sacrifice so many things to give us whatever we wanted."

The actor spoke about his Bigg Boss journey and revealed that it was difficult for him to not talk to his mother for that long. "Recently, I was on Bigg Boss and for the first time, I couldn't speak to her for three months. I know it doesn't sound too cool to say it at 39 - but being away from her was the toughest part of that show. So, when I received a letter from her on set, I sat with it and read it in her voice - it felt like she was right next to me, and that letter was a piece of her."

Sidharth Shukla rounded off his post with these words: "Every time she tells me she's proud of me, it's the greatest feeling ever. I feel like the happiest man on earth, because I was able to put a smile on her face; a woman who means everything to me. Even today, mom remains my anchor and never fails to give me her daily dose of advice - when I finally saw her on set after 3 long months, the first thing she told me was to stop wearing shorts all the time and to put on a pair of jeans!" Read his full post here:

Sidharth also wrote a heartfelt note on the occasion of International Women's Day and shared it with an adorable picture featuring his mom and sister on social media. Take a look:

On the work front, Sidharth Shukla became a household name after he featured in Balika Vadhu: Kacchi Umar Ke Pakke Rishte. He has also participated in reality shows such as Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 7 and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6. He has starred in many films, including Shashank Khaitan's Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania co-starring Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan.