Over the years, Bollywood celeb mothers have won our hearts for their strength, guts, and their inspiring portrayals in some of the most unforgettable films. However, their real-life stories are equally inspiring.
These beautiful women have not just earned their well-deserved fame, but have also broken barriers of stereotypical parenting. Be it adoption or surrogacy, or simply having a child out of wedlock, they have time and again proven to society that motherhood knows no bounds.
On the day that is dedicated to mothers, let's look at the moms in Bollywood who have not only broken stereotypes but also redefined women empowerment.
Kalki Koechlin - From giving water birth to giving a gender-neutral name for the baby to singing lullabies, Kalki is embracing motherhood in a beautiful way. The National Award-winning actress not only picks up unconventional roles for her films but also enjoys a real-life persona that believes in breaking all stereotypes.
For the unversed, Kalki was blessed with a baby girl in February 2020. As much as Kalki loves being a mommy to her little one, she often takes to social media to flaunt her motherly side.
Kalki has also been using the experience of embracing motherhood to help other expecting mothers, especially those who are having a baby for the first time. She has made it pretty clear when she announced her pregnancy with boyfriend Guy Hershberg that she does not want to tie the knot just because she is pregnant.
Neha Dhupia - It is a well-known fact that actress Neha Dhupia was pregnant at the time she got married. Reportedly, Neha was already three months pregnant when Angad Bedi approached her parents for their marriage. Later, in Neha’s radio show No Filter Neha, Angad talked about the surprise wedding and how it wasn’t easy to convince Neha’s parents.
While talking about how they broke the news to Neha’s parents, Angad revealed, "I said, ‘You know what? We’re gonna have a baby.’ There was silence. They also scolded me. I don’t think they were really prepared to hear the news that you were expecting."
Neha has always managed to break stereotypes. Recently, via an Instagram post, the actress urged her followers not to sexualize breastfeeding. Neha often spreads awareness about breastfeeding and how it should be normalized, rather than shamed.
Neena Gupta - Being a parent is not a cakewalk and it takes immense strength to be a single mother. Neena Gupta has been a single mother and how in the day and age when it was uncommon, she proved to the world that a child’s upbringing does not necessarily need both parents.
Neena Gupta was one of the few women who chose to have daughter Masaba Gupta out of wedlock with West Indies cricketer Vivian Richards and did it with utmost integrity and pride.
Masaba is a well-known fashion designer and her mother is often seen flaunting her designs on red carpets and other public events.
Sushmita Sen - The former Miss Universe, also an inspiring mother, adopted two daughters after basking in success and being at an all-time high of her career. Sushmita’s eldest daughter Renee is 20, while her younger one Alisah is 11. The actress calls adopting her daughter the best and wisest decision.
While the beauty queen has finally found love in model Rohman Shawl, it's his bond with Sushmita's adoptive daughters that makes fans root for the lovebirds. Sushmita truly deserves a crown for being as fierce as a lioness.
Sunny Leone - Sunny Leone and Daniel Weber are parents to a five-year-old girl Nisha, who they adopted in 2017, and to twin boys, who they were blessed through surrogacy in 2018. In an interview, Sunny had earlier revealed that with adoption, they wanted to have a girl and for them, it was a perfect choice.
Sunny has often said that she could never imagine her life without her kids. The couple is being lauded by many from the film fraternity for breaking the stereotypes.
Mandira Bedi - Actress Mandira Bedi made a big announcement on social media last year when she introduced her and her husband Rraj Kaushal's newest little family member. Mandira, Rraj and their 9-year-old son Vir welcomed a 4-year-old adorable little girl named Tara into their lives. Mandira married director-producer Rraj in February 1999. The couple welcomed their first child Vir in 2011. Back in 2019, the multitalented personality had said that society always judges a woman if she has a successful career after marriage and motherhood.
The actress had said, "Living in Indian society, as a woman you tend to face several stereotypes. When I decided to delay my pregnancy due to work commitments, it was the most difficult decision I had to make. I was looked at differently, and people perceived me as a woman who is career-oriented. You would think that is a good trait to have, but our society thinks differently of a married woman."
Raveena Tandon - Raveena Tandon was at the peak of her career when she adopted two girls, Pooja and Chhaya, as a single mother in 1995 when they were 11 and 8 years old, respectively. The happy and proud mother then went on to get married to Anil Thadani and has a daughter and a son.
It wouldn't be wrong to say that Raveena has not only created harmony between her adopted and biological kids but also has passed her wisdom to them, creating a perfect balance.
Amrita Singh - Saif Ali Khan’s former wife Amrita Singh, parted ways from the Nawab, but took full responsibility of her kids when it came to parenting. Sara Ali Khan is indeed close to both her parents, but it is Amrita’s upbringing that reflects in her personality.
Pooja Bedi - Pooja divorced her husband Farhan Ebrahim Furniturewala in 2003. She has a daughter Alaya and a son Omar from the marriage. After her divorce, Pooja took care of her kids alone. Alaya has debuted in Bollywood with Jawani Jaaneman and has garnered a lot of praises for her performance.