When Karisma Kapur's little girl Samaira would see her mom being photographed, she couldn't help thinking that it was something that happened with all women.

After all, the paparazzi never left her maasi Kareena, or her grandmom Babita, alone. It took Samaira a while to understand that all the women in her family were popular actors.

Looks like she's going to finally get the real picture, now that Karisma is gearing up for her Bollywood comeback. Looking as slim as her Dil Toh Pagal Hai days, Karisma talks to CS about motherhood, and what took her so long to return to the silver screen:

The bigger picture
I don't think I was ready to resume work earlier because Samaira (now 6-years-old) and Kiaan (18-months-old) needed me. You know, I'm the very paranoid sort, but I'm becoming a little cooler now.

I kept getting a lot of offers, but I ended up declining all of them. Now finally, I think that Samaira is old enough and is busy with school and other activities and Kiaan has a great big sister in her.

My kids come to the sets with me, but they're usually busy with their own activities to take notice of what's happening with their mom. I want them to lead as normal a life as possible.

Family drama
My kids are not too much into Hindi films, at least not for now. When they grow up, they can decide for themselves whether they want to become actors or not.

But yes, I will be over the moon if they join my industry. For the longest time, Samaira couldn't understand why I was being photographed and why people would chase me in malls, etc for an autograph.

I had a hard time convincing her that they liked me, so she shouldn't get offended. Now, she finally understands that her mom, her Bebo-ma (Kareena Kapoor) and her grandparents are all actors.

Mom's the word
Motherhood is the best job that I've ever had. I love the daily challenge of being a mom and doing things right. The most important lesson that motherhood has taught me is how to be a selfless person, where nothing is more important than your child's happiness.

I never knew I could ever be so sacrificial. I'm actually quite the maternal sort and always wanted four kids as a teenager. But for now, I'm happy with two. I guess no amount of preparation is enough for motherhood, you just learn on the job. But Bebo has been fortunate to learn a lot about parenting through my experience.

She's crazy about my kids and makes it a point to spend time with them. She too is quite protective and maternal. I'm sure she'll make a great mom.