Actor Tara Sutaria recently opened up about her childhood and the family environment that shaped her confidence. During an appearance on Fashionably Pernia, she spoke about growing up with her twin sister, Pia Sutaria, and how their parents made both daughters feel heard and respected. Rather than treating children as too young to have opinions, Tara said her parents involved her and Pia in conversations and allowed them to express their views. For her, that upbringing played an important role in developing confidence, maturity and a strong sense of self.
‘Our opinions always mattered’
5 Oct 2026 | 12:06
Parents, when your child refuses to greet relatives, do you make them say hello or respect their choice?
Looking back at her childhood, Tara recalled that her parents made a conscious effort to treat her and Pia equally. “My mom and dad kind of always treated my sister and me like we were equals. We were kind of treated like adults when we were kids, and our opinions always mattered,” she said during the interview. For Tara, being taken seriously as a child had an impact that extended beyond simply making her feel included. She believes that when children know their opinions are valued, they can become more confident in expressing themselves. “I think that gives a child so much confidence,” Tara said. She also described disagreement as a normal part of family life. Instead of expecting children to agree with their parents simply because they are younger, Tara said her family was comfortable having arguments and discussing different viewpoints.“We also enjoy arguing, which I think sometimes families feel… out of respect, kids might not feel comfortable having a healthy argument,” she said. For Tara, disagreement did not necessarily mean disrespect. Her family was comfortable with having different opinions while maintaining their bond. “Like our family loves to agree to disagree. And I love that about our family,” she added. According to the actor, this freedom to express disagreement helped her develop greater maturity and confidence. “So I think that brings maturity, confidence and a certain… again, adds to your sense of self,” she said.
Growing up with her twin sister Pia
Tara has also spoken about the strong connection she shares with her twin sister. During an earlier appearance on Rhea Chakraborty’s podcast Chapter 2, she recalled how closely she and Pia were connected during their childhood. The actor said she was comfortable with Pia being more prominent in social situations and that she eventually had to work on becoming more outgoing because of her career in acting. Her memories of school also highlighted just how inseparable the sisters were when they were young. “I remember when our teacher told us that ‘we are going to separate Pia and Tara.’ I remember looking at Pia and welled up in tears because I couldn’t be separated from her. What will I do?” Tara recalled.She also admitted that her twin sister had become an important part of how she viewed herself. “In my own head, I was like, ‘I am nothing without her,’ because I was so scared as a child about everything,” she said. Over time, however, Tara developed her own identity, particularly as she entered an industry that required her to be comfortable in front of audiences and cameras.
Why being heard can matter to children
Tara’s reflections highlight a broader aspect of parenting: allowing children to express opinions does not necessarily mean giving them complete control over family decisions. Instead, it can mean creating an environment where children feel safe enough to ask questions, disagree respectfully and explain how they feel. For Tara, that appears to have been an important part of her childhood. Her parents’ decision to treat their daughters as equals gave her the confidence to participate in conversations and develop her own perspective while remaining closely connected to her family.Her comments also show that confidence does not always come from asking children to speak more. Sometimes, it can begin with simply making them feel that what they say matters. Tara was most recently seen in Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, directed by Geetu Mohandas and starring Yash in the lead role. Fashionably Pernia video: I can share the exact interview link, but I’d want to verify the official upload first rather than risk giving you an incorrect or unofficial link.



