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Movies or babies? Is this even a question to ask, Bollywood?

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Poulomi Ghosh
Poulomi GhoshOct 23, 2018 | 17:25

Movies or babies? Is this even a question to ask, Bollywood?

The state of affairs inside Bollywood must be sordid

When Karan Johar asked Deepika Padukone to pick one between movies or babies on the first episode of this season of Koffee with Karan, good sense must have prevailed over Deepika and she didn’t leave the show immediately. She maintained her usual calm and composure and spending a few seconds dithering — betraying how uneasy-making it was to answer this, sitting opposite a proud filmmaker father of two — she said ‘babies while doing movies’.

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And who has got two babies? (Screenshot)

Now, rapid fire questions are supposed to be funny, presenting a catch-22 situation so that the answer in not easy, and thereby, entertaining.

But then, 'movies or babies'?

Seriously?

Does Bollywood in 2018 actually think that this is the dilemma all actresses in the industry should hover on — instead of deliberating on which script to say ‘yes’ to, which director to work with, how much to demand by way of pay and rights, etc.?

Yes. Apparently.

Here’s what Neha Dhupia, who is expecting her first child with Angad Bedi, said in a recent interview:

“I was worried people would stop offering work. It was a good thing my bump wasn’t showing till the sixth month because appearances matter here, and one might be assumed to unfit for a job. Fortunately, my energy levels are high.”

The state of affairs inside Bollywood must be sordid which explains why every actress working during and after her pregnancy makes it to a glorified listicle — it’s never the usual, it’s always the unusual — from when Jaya Bachchan was three months’ pregnant during shooting for Sholay to Kareena Kapoor shooting for Veere Di Wedding — it has remained the 'unusual'.

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In between, we have had Sridevi, Hema Malini, Juhi Chawla, Kajol, Farah Khan, all working during their pregnancies, but only to make the list lengthier — and not to make the industry accept that this is how it should happen.

At one point of time, there were a lot of discussions on whether Bollywood should adopt a no-pregnancy clause to save the producers who might have to leave a project midway if the leading lady gets pregnant all of a sudden. When Aishwarya Rai Bachchan walked out of Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine (2012), Bhandarkar reportedly suffered a loss of Rs 4 crore. That raked up the issue of the clause as the question was reportedly over the 'commitment' of married actresses in Bollywood.

But when Madhuri Dixit was asked to sign a no-pregnancy clause for Khalnayak, she was not even married! Subhash Ghai was just apprehensive that Madhuri may get married to Sanjay Dutt any day. 

Rhea Kapoor was apparently ready to change the script of Veere Di Wedding to make Kareena Kapoor’s character six months’ pregnant, when she came to know that Kareena Kapoor was expecting.

But that did not happen.

Why?

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Here’s the elephant in the room which the film industry rarely talks about.

There’s no concept of maternity insurance for Indian actresses. So, who will bear the brunt if something untoward happens to the actress during shooting?

A difficult question indeed.

So, instead ask that 'innovative' question: 'Movies or babies'?

Last updated: October 23, 2018 | 19:25
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