Sushmita Sen spoke candidly about the difficulties she faced after adopting her daughter Renee at the age of 24, revealing that the decision sparked intense criticism from the film industry at a time when single motherhood was still considered unconventional.In a recent conversation with NDTV, the actress spoke about the challenges of balancing motherhood and a film career during an era without social media or multiple entertainment platforms.“It was worse. You are talking about a world without social media, without the digital boom, and there are much fewer platforms on which an actor can work today. And it is still difficult,” Sushmita said.“So imagine you are an actor who only works on one platform. There are rules associated with that platform, which is cinema, that say a girl should forget about having a child.
She added: “You will not get married because that will affect your followers and audience.”
“My boss ran away,” reveals Sushmita Sen
Recalling the reaction of people around her to her decision, Sushmita revealed that even her manager chose to stay away from representing her professionally.“My boss ran away. He said, ‘You’re not serious about your career, and I can’t act like a 24-year-old mother.’
However, Sushmita said that she never regretted her choice and remained steadfast in her belief that motherhood would not define or limit her career.“He ran away, and I was like, ‘Good riddance to bad garbage.’ I was totally fine with that. And you wouldn’t believe it — after becoming a mother, I delivered my biggest hits,” she added.
Sushmita says she refused to follow industry expectations
The actress further explained that she consciously chose not to follow the unwritten ‘rules’ imposed on actresses in Bollywood.“But what it took was saying, ‘These are the rules – take them or leave them.’ And the thing was, ‘I am a self-made woman. I have no godparents. No one gave me a platform. I did everything on my own.’ So Sushmita said, ‘Your rules don’t apply to me.'” My rules apply to me.”She added that her biggest priority at that point was providing a stable and loving childhood for Renee.“My base is, ‘This is what I want to do. I want to be a young mother.’
“I don’t want to be helpless in any way so that I can take care of this child and give him the best childhood possible,” she explained.
“People questioned my acting and commitment.”
Sushmita also recalled how the industry constantly doubted her abilities as an actress and her dedication to work.“There was a lot of opposition from the industry, a tremendous amount. They were saying: ‘What are you doing?’ “She’s not committed, as it is.” She said frankly: “She was a difficult lead to cast because she’s taller than most of the actors, and she doesn’t have all the acting skills.”The actress admitted that she entered films without any formal acting background and had to learn while working on sets.“I needed someone to help me learn, and I had to do the job, so I did my best. And then I learned on the job,” she said.
“If you hold on to rejection long enough, acceptance will follow.”
Despite the criticism and rejection, Sushmita said she chose resilience rather than bitterness.“I always said — my mom says this — that if you hold on to rejection long enough, acceptance follows.
“So I held onto that rejection long enough, and suddenly it was great.”After adopting Renee in 2000, Sushmita went on to star in several hit films, including Main Hoon Na with Shah Rukh Khan, Main Pyaar Kyun Kiya alongside Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, as well as Aankhen, Filhaal and Samay: When Time Strikes.