Poonam Dhillon opens up on sacrificing her career for motherhood
Mumbai, June 12
Veteran actress Poonam Dhillon has opened up about taking a step back from her flourishing film career to focus on raising her children.
Reflecting on that phase of her life, she revealed that she chose to turn down film offers for several years as her children were very young and she did not have the support needed to leave them at home. During her appearance on the show, 'Tum Ho Naa - Ghar Ki Superstar,' Poonam opened up about motherhood, balancing work and family.
During the discussion, host Rajeev Khandelwal spoke about the difficulties women often encounter while raising children, particularly when balancing several responsibilities at once. Reacting to his remarks, Poonam Dhillon went on to share her own experience.
"Look, mostly all women raise children single-handedly. I have seen this mostly. Married or in a joint family, the responsibility of children is carried out by every mother with full heart and full courage."
Speaking about her own experience, she added, "But in my case, yes, I was to some extent a single parent. Financial support was provided, but... You never know when it can be needed. This is a very important thing. Your respect also depends on how much you can make yourself capable. And as you said, education or any skill, never leave it. Because that makes you strong and gives you the strength to stand on your own feet."
The veteran actress also reflected on taking a break from her acting career to devote more time to her children. "For a few years I completely stopped working. The children were very small and I did not have the support of my parents to leave them at home. I was the one who took care of the children. That's why for a few years I refused films. Then I chose television, thinking that there would be fewer outdoor shoots in TV. And I also set the condition that I would work only limited hours because my son was only one and a half years old. My focus was that I should not neglect the children in any way.)."
The 'Teri Meherbaniyan' actress also revealed that she carefully organized her work commitments around her children's routines and stayed actively involved in every stage of their upbringing. "Before going to school, my daughter would come in the morning and say, 'Mom, make my braid,' because she didn't know how to properly make a braid. So, I made her braid, got her ready in her uniform, and sent her to school. Then when she came back from school, she would come straight to the set. She did her homework sitting with me on the set. We managed many such things."
She also revealed that she carefully organized her work commitments around her children's routines and stayed actively involved in every stage of their upbringing.
Speaking about her children, Poonam shared, "I am very proud of my children. Wherever I go and people say how good your children are, it feels very nice. Many times, when I am not there and later someone calls and says they met your son or your daughter, it felt very nice, so I feel even more happy."
— IANS
Reader Comments
Respect for Poonam ji. But I wish men were also made to think about such sacrifices. Why is it always the mother who has to give up everything for kids? My wife is a doctor and she faced similar pressures. Society expects too much from women sometimes.
Her story about making daughter's braid before going to set 🥺 That's the reality of working moms in India. We multitask like crazy. My mother worked and still managed everything. Proud of all women who balance career and home without any support system.
She made the right call. Kids need their mother in those formative years. But I wish Bollywood would provide better support systems for actresses who become mothers. We talk about women empowerment but the industry still doesn't have proper maternity policies or flexible schedules.
Her children turned out amazing - both Paloma and Anmol are well-mannered. Shows her dedication. But the sad reality is that in our country, even today, most women don't have the option to 'choose' to work after kids. For many, it's not a choice but necessity. Poonam was lucky to have financial support.
Very moving but also makes me think - why is it always the mother talking about sacrificing career? Where are the fathers in these narratives? My husband co-parents equally and it's possible. We need to normalize shared parenting rather than glorifying mothers' sacrifices.
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