In a recent interview, Kareena Kapoor was asked about ageism in Bollywood. The actress said that earlier, for female actors, the “biggest taboo was to get married.” However, she said times are now changing. The actor also opened up about how she makes choices as a working mother, saying no to things when she does not want to leave her children alone.
Kareena married actor Saif Ali Khan in 2012. They became parents to Taimur Ali Khan in 2016 and younger son Jehangir Ali Khan in 2021. Bebo recalled how marriage was considered the end of a female actor’s career. When asked if Bollywood was finally changing its approach to ageism, she said, “I think so. You have to wear your age proudly. Today, women have become brave. For female actors, the biggest taboo was to get married… but now you marital status doesn’t affect your career. Filmmakers are now taking risks and willing to work on off-beat scripts, and give different people a chance. In the end, it is all about feeling and looking confident.”
Kareena also spoke about achieving “work-life balance” as a working mother. She said, “I don’t think there is a formula to achieving work-life balance, there’s no secret to it. It is up to you to decide what you will or won't do. I want to be able to say no to the things that I don’t want to do, because I don't feel like leaving my kids alone or because I don't want to be seen at some awards show. I want to be able to choose — because I'd rather sit at home with my husband and watch a show or have a glass of wine. That’s one of the biggest changes I have gone through, personally. It is up to me to strike a work-life balance.”
On the work front, Kareena is working on her next, ‘The Crew.’ The film also features Tabu and Kriti Sanon, backed by Rhea Kapoor. Kareena's upcoming projects include Hansal Mehta's next. Meanwhile, ‘Devotion of Suspect X,’ which marks Kareena's OTT debut and is directed by Sujoy Ghosh, is also expected to be out this year. It is an adaptation of a novel of the same name by Japanese author Keigo Higashino. Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat also star in the Netflix project.