One of the off-screen tropes marking Bollywood’s celebrityhood has been the short shelf life of female actors. Marriage, the birth of children, have had to be measured against how badly one wanted success or how prepared one was to relinquish it for a life of domesticity. While their male counterparts continued to bag plum projects through marriage and fatherhood, it seemed quite inconceivable for women at the height of their careers to have the same privilege.
Like Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor in 2022, the announcement by Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh on social media about the arrival of their baby in September is heartening because it breaks this stereotype in the best possible way.
With a reported net worth running into hundreds of crores, headlining projects and global endorsements, at 38, Padukone is at the top of her game, and alongside Bhatt, one of the biggest stars whose clout is not restricted to India alone. Their decision to go public with the news of their pregnancy, in the early stages, displays both a confidence in their professional standing and an ownership over the biggest decisions of their lives.
While Padukone and Bhatt are to be congratulated for bucking the trend — Bhatt had, in fact, worked on her first Hollywood project, Heart of Stone, during her pregnancy — it was actor Kareena Kapoor Khan who was among the first to challenge the status quo when she was pregnant with her first child. In a profession that places a high premium on appearances, Kapoor Khan refused to be closeted away, appearing on talk shows, walking the ramp at fashion weeks, wearing the changes to her body with complete ease.
In an industry where change is slow and incremental at best, these challenges have managed to counter an inherently patriarchal mindset with the female gaze: Childbirth, like ageing, is a normal process, not at odds with professional competence or interest. Their decisions also speak of a confidence in the maturity of the audience willing to confront its own insecurities and look beyond face value.
Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh arrived in Jamnagar for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding celebrations. Ranveer shared adorable pictures of them dressed in elegant cocktail attire. Deepika looked stunning in a black vintage dress while Ranveer opted for an all-white suit.
Twinkle on, mom – The Indian Express
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