Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja and husband Anand Ahuja welcomed their first child on August 20. Soon, a fashion magazine shared its latest issue with the actress on the cover, posing in an unbuttoned shirt and flaunting her belly.
In the interview, Sonam shared her thoughts on becoming a mother and how the child would become her priority. She also pointed out that bringing a child into this world is a “selfish decision”.
Image credit: Instagram/sonamkapoor
Sonam Kapoor on why having a child is “selfish”
Sonam’s statement was a response to a question on what her career would look like after having a baby. During the interview with Vogue, Sonam expressed that her priorities would change and the child would become number one.
She added, “The truth of the matter is that they didn’t choose to come into this world. You decided to bring them here, so it’s a very selfish decision. I will try to do the best I can as a mother, which means that acting will definitely take a backseat, but I don’t think I will ever stop working completely.”
Image credit: Instagram/sonamkapoor
Sonam on how the pandemic changed her parenthood plans
Parents around the world are rethinking having children thanks to worrying developments like climate change and rising income inequality—the latest deterrent being the coronavirus pandemic. Even Sonam mentioned in the interview that though they initially planned to have the baby at the beginning of the pandemic, they decided to wait as “things just kept getting graver (sic)”.
So, now that the actress has finally welcomed a baby boy, it’s only expected that she’d want to prioritise her time with her child and family.
Image credit: Instagram/sonamkapoor
“I’m giving myself a six-month break after my pregnancy to resume work, even though it seems like I haven’t worked in longer because I haven’t had a release in two years. I remember having this internal conflict about whether or not I should take time off but then I realised I have been working since I was 20, so it will be well earned,” shared Sonam.
What exactly is selfish about bringing children into this world?
As we congratulate Sonam and Anand on welcoming their bundle of joy, her statement on having children being a “selfish decision” definitely prompts us to think how sometimes the desire to have children might be born out of self-interest, like finding a purpose in life, peer-pressure, or simply wanting a loving company. Moreover, our society and institutions are not designed to favour childless couples or single women.
Image credit: Instagram/sonamkapoor
At the same time, women who decide to go child-free are not admired either, and often endure vitriol from family members along with being labelled “shallow” and “self-absorbed”. The decision often prompts total disbelief, as society is still to come to terms with the fact that a woman can also exercise her rights and has the freedom to choose.
In a nutshell, wanting a baby or not should be a woman’s choice and hers alone. No judgements, whatsoever.
Lead image credit: Instagram/sonamkapoor
