Working since I was 20: Sonam Kapoor says her post-pregnancy break was ‘much needed’

Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja made a comeback on screens with a crime thriller titled Blind. Being in the spotlight again, the Khoobsurat actor spoke about balancing her professional and personal lives and how she managed her work commitments while expecting her baby boy, Vayu.

In a candid conversation with Harper's Bazaar India, Sonam revealed that she had been working before she found out she was pregnant. “I was already working on a few projects before Anand, and I discovered that we were pregnant. I ensured that I fulfilled all my commitments before my due date because I was certain that in my new phase of life, I would be just available to my son as a mother,” she said, adding that she wouldn’t let anything come in between her new journey.

“If that meant that acting would take a backseat for a bit, so be it. I will never stop acting completely, but I wanted to be present during my transition to motherhood,” she asserted.

In another interview with Cosmopolitan India, Sonam shared that she has two more projects pending that she’ll work on “soon.” Talking about her much-needed break, she added, “After much contemplation, I took a six-month break post my pregnancy before resuming work. I have been working since I was 20 years old, and I believe it was a well-earned break.” She revealed that she even worked during the lockdown on the Shome Makhija directorial crime thriller film Blind.

In a time when actors Alia Bhatt and Sonam continue working even as new mothers, the Neerja actor expanded on her comment on the film industry not having enough acceptance for mothers.

“I believe it’s not just limited to the film business, and, unfortunately, applies to every industry when it comes to new mothers. Women have always been proficient at multitasking and can handle various roles impeccably. We need people around us to be more empathetic and have more trust in how we can deliver while being mothers.”

Now that Sonam is slowly coming back to acting, she has opinions on what kind of stories Bollywood should explore more. “I have always aimed at supporting stories with strong female representation, and I hope Bollywood continues to make such films. A couple of films I have enjoyed watching in the recent past include Gangubai Kathiawadi [2022], Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway [2023], and Raazi [2018],” she concluded.