Yummy Mummys Open Up On Their Lives As Working Mothers
make that tough choice. Jaya Bhaduri was a superstar when in 1973
she gave it all up.On the other hand Sharmila Tagore who had a
blooming career going at around the same time as Jaya, chose to
continue her career after marriage and motherhood.
“It is a piece of cake.In fact I entered one of the most
productive periods of my career after marriage. I was shooting for
Aradhana when I was pregnant with Saif and by the time I did Amar
Prem with Rajesh Khanna, Saif was born and would accompany me to the
sets,” says Sharmila.
Sharmila’s daughter-in-law Kareena Kapoor Khan seems to have chosen
to walk her gorgeous Sasu-maa’s path. No, you won’t see her son
Taimur toddling to the sets. But while Taimur is looked after by
her very capable nanny, Kareena will fly out to Delhi to shoot and
promote Veere Di Wedding.
Kareena says that the workload has definitely decreased for her son’s
sake. But she will continue to work in maybe one film per year.
However Kareena’s sister-in-law Soha Ali Khan has a different
maternity plan.She intends to take time completely off to look
after her newly-born daughter Inaaya.
“Different women different mothers different plans and targets,”
says Vani Tripathi Tikoo, actress and active BJP member and
spokesperson of the BJP who has zipped off to the Cannes Film
Festival only weeks after her first baby, daughter Akshara was born.
Apparently the Minister Of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, herself a
working mother who has struck a fine balance between the kitchen
and the parliament, was very upset when she got to know that Vani
Tripathi was leaving her baby behind to attend the Cannes festival.
“How could you ask her(Vani Tripathi) to leave her baby until the
40-day gestation period is over?” Ms Swaraj is said to have asked
the I & B minister Smriti Irani, herself a shining example of an
actress-turned politician who has never neglected her duties as a
mother in spite of being so immersed in her political career, and
earlier in her extremely successful stint as a television actress.
“It is tough to leave her behind, but I’ve my my in-laws and my
mother to look after Akshara while I am here at Cannes. But it’s hard
to focus on my work here while my baby is back home. My entire clock
and routine are now determined by my daughter’s sleeping/waking
hours,” says Vani.
Hema Malini who brought up two daughters while working as a top
actress says it isn’t hard to balance her career with motherhood. “It
is like any other profession. Don’t we have women in every walk of
life balancing their jobs with family duties? In politics we have
such shining examples as Ms Sushama Swaraj and Ms Smriti Irani. I
never found it difficult to bring up my two daughter Esha and Ahana
while I continued to do films.No, I never had them accompanying me to
my shooting. They were very well looked after while I was working.’
Jaya Bachchan who took a complete break from acting for motherhood
says it was a personal choice. “There was never any persuasion from
any quarters. I decided to quit, and never regretted my decision.”
Jaya’s daughter-in-law Aishawray followed a different career
trajectory. She took a break from acting while her daughter Aaradhya
was an infant . But once Aaradhya started going to playschool
Aishwarya returned to acting.
“But my priorities are very clear to anyone who signs me. Aaradhya
comes first. Everything else is secondary to her,” says Aishwarya.
Here’s saluting these super -moms whom we all admire for their heroics
on screen. It looks there is a lot to be admired in their real-life
roles as mothers.
