Being a part of the film industry is not an easy task. Bollywood has produced many amazing films and great actors since its inception. But it has always been difficult for women to work in the industry and remain a part of it.
Everyone loves their personal life. But the film industry is a place where your fans want to know everything about you while you are working. What did you eat, how fit are you, do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend, whom are you married to, how many children do you have… even what was your condition during pregnancy. Fans are interested in knowing everything.
When actresses had to hide marriage and pregnancy
But this is today’s thing. There was a time when both actors and actresses had to keep their lives hidden from the eyes of the world. Actors did not disclose their marriages because it would affect their female following. And actresses because it would end their career. Getting married meant a break from the industry. After that break, you would get fewer opportunities to return. On the other hand, having a child meant forget about returning to the industry. This was the time when after a certain age, actresses were seen on screen as the mother of their own hero.
There was a time when Hema Malini and Dharmendra’s love was much talked about. Dharmendra, who was already married, was falling in love with Hema Malini, while on the other hand, rumours were being spread about the two. Despite society’s refusal, Hema fell in love with Dharmendra and married him in 1980. Dharmendra was known for his protective nature. People hardly know about his first wife Prakash Kaur even today. At that time, Dharmendra was not only Prakash’s husband but also the father of four children. But his love for Hema Malini was something else.
Dharmendra booked the entire hospital for Hema Malini
After marriage, the time came when Dharmendra and Hema Malini were about to welcome their first child. This was in 1981. Hema was about to give birth to her first daughter Isha Deol. No one had any idea about her pregnancy. Then Dharmendra had booked an entire hospital for his wife’s delivery. Hema’s friend Neetu Kohli had told about this in an interview. During the chat show ‘Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai’, Neetu Kohli had said, ‘When Isha was about to be born, no one knew that Hema was pregnant. So Dharam ji had booked the entire hospital for Isha. It was a nursing home, which had 100 rooms. He had booked all 100 rooms for Isha’s birth.’
Hearing this incident, the romantic person inside everyone feels that I also need such love. But if we think about that time, Dharmendra’s doing this may not have been just his love. If Hema Malini had spoken openly about her pregnancy, it would have had a deep impact on her career. There were very few female stars who were able to maintain their career and series of hit films after marriage and children. Pregnancy was seen as a disease then. But today’s era is completely different. In today’s era of maternity photoshoots and baby bumps, female actors have many opportunities.
The industry is changing for actresses
In the Hindi film industry, many things are still the same. People are facing many big problems. But this does not mean that some big problems have not ended. One of these is the effect of the personal life of actresses on their professional life. Today, fans celebrate the wedding of stars like a wedding at home. At the same time, fans also rejoice on hearing the news of their pregnancy. Now actresses flaunt their baby bump and their pregnancy photoshoots go viral on social media. Not only this, actresses have started sharing openly everything from the struggle of pregnancy to the pain of postpartum.
The change in the industry is the main reason for this. With the change in society and time, the thinking of the film industry is also changing regarding women. Earlier, actresses had to hide their pregnancy and they also used to work less during this period. But now female actors keep working on their projects till some time before the delivery day. And for some, the maternity leave is also not very long.
Heroines are doing action during pregnancy, special care is taken
If we look at comedian Bharti Singh, she returned to TV as a reality show host just 3 days after her delivery. Bharti Singh continued hosting reality shows even during her pregnancy. The comedian had told in an interview that she was troubled by the stress of shooting the show and the party popper burst for celebration. In such a situation, she was removed from the stage and a party popper was used. This shows that pregnant women are now being taken special care of on the sets of films and TV shows. Alia Bhatt shot for her Hollywood film ‘Heart of Stone’ during pregnancy. A video of her came out in which she was seen doing action scenes. Alia had told that special attention was given to her pregnancy while doing action so that the health of the actress and her child remains good.
Pregnancy is not a disease, she has made the baby bump bare
Deepika Padukone, Kajal Aggarwal and Kareena Kapoor Khan have also shot films during their pregnancy. Some pictures from the sets of Deepika’s ‘Singham Again’ also went viral, in which she was seen in the role of a strong policewoman. Deepika is going to be seen in an action avatar in director Rohit Shetty’s film. On the other hand, before Taimur Ali Khan was born, Kareena Kapoor even walked the ramp during her pregnancy. Kareena walked the ramp for famous designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee at Lakme Fashion Week 2016. She walked while flaunting her heavy baby bump and proved that pregnancy is not a disease.
Actresses are also trying their best to remove the stigma that has been prevailing in the society and industry regarding pregnancy. Actresses have now started talking openly about their experiences, from work to ramp walk during pregnancy. These experiences and talks are also working as an encouragement for those who like them and those who watch them. Pregnant women often hide their baby bump. If you have observed, you will see any pregnant woman covering her bump with the dupatta of her suit or the pallu of her saree. But actresses have also tried to eliminate the stigma associated with this thing. You can clearly see this in the maternity shoot of Deepika Padukone and Richa Chadha. Both have shown their bare baby bump.
Brands are also welcoming with open arms
From this you can understand what changes happen in a woman’s body when a child is in her womb and all this is normal. Actresses are spreading body positivity by showing their naked baby bump before delivery and baby fat after delivery. Along with this, actresses are also teaching fans the way of exercise and fitness during pregnancy. Special projects are being received during pregnancy period. Anushka Sharma with chubby cheeks and post pregnancy glow was seen in a clothing brand advertisement a few days ago. Sonam Kapoor can also be seen in a baby soap advertisement in her post delivery avatar.
Talking about brands, this market has suddenly boomed for pregnancy and mother actresses. Shilpa Shetty advertised Prega News pregnancy kit in the year 2012. At that time she became the mother of her son Viaan Raj Kundra. After her, many actresses have been talking about the joy of getting ‘good news’ in this advertisement. Its latest face has been Anushka Sharma. At the same time, you must have seen Sonam Kapoor in the advertisement of some other pregnancy kit. In such a situation, actresses flaunting themselves in pregnancy is also giving them new projects and good earning options. This is a new revolution in advertising along with the industry. Now being pregnant does not mean stopping work, it means getting extra work. Actresses charge crores for these ads.
The speed with which the actresses are getting fit and returning to work after delivery is also praiseworthy. Alia, Kareena and now Deepika are also going to be its example.
This shows how many changes have been made in the industry regarding female actors. This was not done by the actresses alone but the makers, brands, designers and other people associated with the industry also supported them in this. There have also been changes in the shooting crew according to pregnant actresses, in which their safety is strictly taken care of. Along with all this, if you have your partner’s support then things become even easier.
Bharti Singh told in an interview that her husband Harsh Limbachiya encouraged her to work during pregnancy and supported her completely. Bharti said, ‘If your partner tells you that if something happens to the child, it will be your fault, then the woman herself stops working. In such a situation, it is also important to choose the right partner.’ These things tell how far we have come in time.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)