Stay-at-home or working, motherhood, circa 21 century, is often a juggling act. Karisma, actor and mother-of-two dropped by at DNA to help us demystify that fine balance.
Editor’s note
She’s bang on time and no-nonsense. Actor Karisma Kapoor is at DNA, warm, engaging, and if there is a word that can capture a star being down-to-earth, without artifice —well then, it applies to her.
She’s seen both ends of the mommy spectrum, having taken a break at the height of her career for marriage and the motherhood that followed. And now, she’s once more up on 70mm, marquee-wise, a working mother.
“I think being a mom, I have even more respect for my mother,” muses Karisma to DNA. “And I think she always said, I’m sure all our mother used to say that, ‘When you become a mom you will appreciate me more.’ You know we always take our mothers for granted: ‘Oh mom stop it now. Stop telling me this, stop doing that’, but I think I have much more respect for her. I think the most important thing she gave us is the right values and the right upbringing, which is the most important gift a mother can give a child, you know. You must have those things, they are very important and they are ingrained when you are in your initial, growing years. So, that’s why I didn’t want to take up work at that time you know, ’coz these initial years are so important. I really value her for giving us that.” Her doing a movie after motherhood, the way Kajol has done, the way Madhuri Dixit has done (all three top of the numbers game at the BO in their time as we know, not mere also-rans) does it spell a more evolved path for an industry, which, up until a few years back, considered a heroine past her sell-by date the moment she applied sindoor to her maang (to put it filmi style).
“With the multiplex audience, there’s a place for everyone,” Karisma explains what she feels. “I don’t think the audience is interested if someone’s married or has kids or girlfriend-boyfriend. They’re not interested in their personal life, they want to see a good movie, a good performance and a good product at the end of the day. So, you know it could be from a newcomer to someone like me, there’s a space and there are roles for everyone there today.”
“You can see Dangerous Ishq is a big example,” she continues. “It’s a commercial masala movie, but it’s got such an amazing platform for the actress and I’m a mom of two kids. So it’s no longer like you have to have this serious art film kind of thing (for married actors).”
Maybe going the Hollywood way then, and Karisma laughs in agreement: “Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet… all my favourite actresses, all moms of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 kids! So, there’s major scope there!”
It is evident to all present that Karisma is in a comfortable space now, both as actor and proud mother: “Today I’m working with no Friday thought! I can do what I love and connect with the audience also, without any pressure. Coz I don’t want to run any rat-race, I’m just not in that kind of space. I think I’m very happy and comfortable the way I am. Like, when everyone asks, ‘What will you be doing on Friday? (movie release days, always D-Day for actors), I say, ‘Standing in the heat outside my daughter’s school! (laughs) I mean that’s what I’m going to be doing, I’m not going to be biting my nails thinking ‘Oh kya hone wala hai’. I’ll work at my own pace, so I’m always going to work."
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