Back in the day!
Senior journalist Bharathi Pradhan who has been in the industry over decades, has seen how actresses would give notices to the producer before they got married. It would naturally mean that they would quit acting. However, there were some actresses who changed the game even back then, quite naturally, without any thought of proving a point. Pradhan says, “In the 70s and 80s, whenever an actress got married, it was taken for granted that she’s going to quit her career. Whether it was Neetu Singh or it was Mumtaaz or it was Poonam Sinha. They used to send notices to their producers. Please wind up our work by this and this date because we are getting married. Kareena and Karisma Kapoor’s mother Babita was another actor, I remember, who had exactly like Mumtaz and Neetu. That’s not something we see now, so, it’s a big change.”
The change-makers!
Pradhan further reveals, Sharmila Tagore and Moushumi Chatterjee were the only two actresses who kept working post having babies. “I had seen them pregnant also. Sharmila was shooting that film ‘Griha Pravesh’ with Sanjeev Kumar when she was pregnant with her third child Soha Ali Khan, after having Saif Ali Khan and Saba Ali Khan. So there was no question of her giving up. I know who continued working after marriage and motherhood and nobody, and it never came in the way of their career.”
The senior journalist added, “Sharmila and Moushumi did it without making a scene about it. They were not doing this to prove a point or show that they were feminists. But if you go back and look back at it, they were far more feminist than a lot of girls today.”
In an exclusive chat with ETimes, Sharmila Tagore had spoken about being a working mother. The veteran actress expressed, “All working women were frowned upon. The society thought we are bad women because we are leaving our children and going to work. But there’s a lot of pain and sacrifice in doing that. That’s how we were judged. Somehow, a man’s work was always valued. A woman’s work was not valued. The notion was that the man is earning a living, so your role is in the kitchen. I taught my children early in life that when I had to go to work, they tell me, ‘Get a 10 on 10’. The way I would wish them for exams, they had to wish me when I went to work. I have taught them that while I am not neglecting them, my work makes me happy, just like going to a birthday party makes them happy. They learnt to accept me as a working person and would ask me questions about my work. They didn’t think I was leaving them or depriving them by going to work.”
Moushumi had once said during an interview with Lehren that Mahesh Bhatt told her, “I never gave my 100 percent as an actress. Mahesh Bhatt once said that whenever your career goes up, you become pregnant. He said that these are the obstacles in my career. I corrected him and said that they added colors to my life.” The actress added that she was never under any pressure because she never valued her career and starom. “Manoj Kumar was very disappointed in her because she got pregnant during Roti Kapda Aur Makaan,” said Moushumi. But she continued working.
For those not in the know, Jaya Bachchan was shooting for ‘Sholay’ when she was pregnant with her first child, Shweta Bachchan.
For those not in the know, Jaya Bachchan was shooting for ‘Sholay’ when she was pregnant with her first child, Shweta Bachchan.
Hit pairings worked!
Film expert Dilip Thakur further gave an insight into this and revealed, “Sharmila Tagore left Kati Patang because she was pregnant and thus Asha Parekh got the role in the film. Tagore took a break before resuming work. Her pairing with Rajesh Khanna was a hit so she got films Raja Rani and Daag. Moushumi Chatterjee entered into the film industry after her marriage. She made a successful pair with actor Vinod Mehra. Earlier, even if an actress took a short break, she would get cast opposite an actor with whom she made a good pair and that would help her in her career.”
However, Thakur further added, “Aishwarya Rai Bachchan kept her movies to a minimum so she didn’t really have a downfall as such. Kajol too did selective films after marriage. Juhi Chawla experienced a fall after marriage. Shah Rukh Khan also teamed up more with Kajol than Juhi after her marriage. Most actresses maintained a balance between career, marriage, and kids. When Aishwarya got married, Jodhaa Akbar was in the making. Many thought that her marriage would affect the film. I remember the film’s director Ashutosh Gowariker saying, “Once the film starts on the big screen, the audience forgets about an actress’ marriage.'”
The women breaking stereotypes today
Even in the 90s, actresses like Kajol have taken long breaks after embracing motherhood. But there was no downfall in their popularity. Karisma Kapoor had also quit her career after she got married. However, the break post motherhood was not very striking for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as the actress became choosy and did movies once in 2-3 years. Actress Shilpa Shirodkar known for movies like ‘Aankhen’, ‘Hum’, ‘Khuda Gawah’, ‘Gopi Kishan’ told ETimes, “This change happened post 2000 and I got married in 2000. Because I never lived in india, I missed the opportunity to continue working post my wedding or having my baby.”
This trend of actresses treating pregnancy and motherhood just as a part of their life, and not a break to their careers, started in full swing with Kareena Kapoor Khan who became the trendsetter. Bharathi Pradhan says, “Kareena had this idol in the form of her mother-in-law Sharmila Tagore. She clearly followed her footsteps and not her mom Babita and Karisma. Within the same family, we have seen women make different choices.”
Actress Tisca Chopra opines, “A worthy evolution has certainly taken place, when it comes to motherhood and careers. I am a huge fan of how Kareena has handled her work and family life, she had massively pushed the envelope. I personally have worked stop through all phases of motherhood, due in large part to my husband, who has always made space for my work, as I have done for his. This equality in parenting is central to making it possible for women to work through stages of their child’s growth.”
Alia Bhatt embraced motherhood and returned to the movies within three to four months. After delivering her baby girl Raha, the first thing she shot was the song ‘Tum Kya Mile’ for ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ and got back in shape within no time! Though, Alia had taken to social media and mentioned that new mothers should not be under the pressure to lose weight. They should love their bodies while slowly making their efforts to get back to shape.
Working through pregnancy and only taking maternity leave
From Kareena to Alia to now Deepika Padukone and Richa Chadha – all these actress have worked through their pregnancy and they seem in no mood to slow down. An industry insider told us, “In Bollywood, we have seen actors like Alia Bhatt and Kareena Kapoor navigate the demands of motherhood while continuing to deliver exceptional performances. Their careers did not come to a halt; rather, they evolved, allowing them to take on roles that reflect their growth and maturity. For instance, Kareena Kapoor’s work post-motherhood has been marked by a noticeable depth, while Alia Bhatt has seamlessly balanced her career and personal life, continuing to excel in diverse roles.”
Richa who is currently in her ninth month has already announced that she’s set to begin shooting for a new film in October. This industry insider on the condition of anonymity, further added, “The reality of Bollywood today is that the industry is increasingly recognizing and valuing the unique perspectives that mother actors bring to their roles. Their ability to balance personal and professional lives while delivering powerful performances challenges the outdated notion that motherhood limits an actor’s career. Instead, it shows that motherhood can be a source of inspiration and growth, adding new layers of depth to an actor’s journey in the entertainment world.”
Clearly then, the industry has evolved and these actresses are proving to be trendsetters, a major source of inspiration for many women who are beautifully balancing their careers along with motherhood!
