For many parents, a child’s early years pass in a blur of photographs, videos and small moments that are easy to forget. Alia Bhatt has found her own way of keeping those memories together. The actor has been sending emails to her daughter Raha every month since her birth, collecting photographs, videos and personal thoughts that she hopes to share with her when she is older.In a conversation with author and podcaster Jay Shetty, Alia explained why she chose emails instead of a traditional memory book. She also spoke about watching her daughter grow up, the memories she is collecting with her family and how becoming a mother has changed the way she sees her own parents.
10 Sept 2026 | 12:19
What’s one thing you swore you’l never do as a parent now you find yourself doing?
“I’m doing this thing where I send Raha emails”
Alia said she started sending emails to Raha soon after her birth and has continued doing so every month. “I’m doing this thing where I send Raha emails. I’ve been doing it every month since she’s born. Just like an amalgamation of photos and videos and what happened and just thoughts and feelings,” she said.The idea came to her after somebody suggested it. Rather than writing in a physical diary, Alia chose a digital format that she could update regularly. “Yeah, somebody said this to somebody, so I was like, it’s a great idea because it’s like a live memory book, you know? I don’t have the discipline and the energy to actually fill out a physical memory book, so I thought this is like a digital way of doing it. It’s easier to search, and it’s nice because maybe when she’s 15, you know, I’d give this to her and say, ‘Listen, this is all the memories that we collected for you over the years. Go ahead and have some fun,’” she told Jay.
What does Alia put in the emails?
Alia said the emails mostly contain visuals and small notes about Raha’s life.
When Jay asked what she had collected so far, Alia said the emails mostly contain visuals and small notes about Raha’s life. “Just photos, you know, videos, thoughts, mainly just visuals of her with either us, with either one of us, or her grandparents, or her aunt or uncle and stuff like that,” she said. She explained that the collection includes random moments rather than a carefully planned record.“Just random moments, you know, and like a little note that you did this today, and we had such a lovely trip here, and something happened, and just sharing whatever I can. It’s like within the moments, whatever comes out at that time,” Alia said.
“When she’s 15, I’d give this to her”
The actor has a particular age in mind for sharing the collection with her daughter. Alia said she might give the emails to Raha when she turns 15, allowing her to look through the memories gathered since birth. “Maybe when she’s 15, you know, I’d give this to her and say, ‘Listen, this is all the memories that we collected for you over the years. Go ahead and have some fun,’” she said.Alia also spoke about recording moments involving her daughter and family members. “But yeah, so when I’m sneakily recording the two of them, sometimes when I review it, it’s really very heartwarming to watch because you know that this is like something very special is just cooking,” she said.
A memory from New York and a conversation about parents
During the conversation, Alia recalled a memory involving her mother and a photograph of a baby. “I remember in New York we were speaking about this, and I remember my mom sent me a photo of a baby walking down the street with many bags. It was like a random Pinterest image or something,” she said.The image led Alia and her mother to reflect on how parents continue to see their children as babies, even after they grow up. “And we actually both agreed that we’re actually all giant babies through our lives, at least for our parents. Like no matter how old we become, we’re still babies,” Alia said.She connected the thought to her own experience as a daughter and a mother. “And I see that now. I see that now when every time I would travel, my mom would say, ‘Okay, be careful before you cross the road. Take care of your arms and legs.’ yeah, I’m like, ‘What do you say? What do you mean, take care of your arms and legs?’ But I understand that now,” she said.
