Why Namrata Shirodkar Decided To Quit Acting After Marriage
niharika nayakBA (Media & Communication) Experience: 4 yearsNiharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing vide... more
Many Indian women are faced with the ultimate question after they have children. Should I continue with my career, take a break, or settle down as a stay-at-home mother? While there are many women who manage to work and take care of their children, there’s no denying that it is a difficult task. Many times, even celebrities are not spared of the same decision making. You probably remember Namrata from her short-lived but successful career in Bollywood. The talented actress had starred in films from the early 2000s like Bride and Prejudice, Dil Vil Pyar Vyar, and Hera Pheri. However, she decided to quit her career after she met the love of her life, Mahesh Babu on the sets of their film, Vamsi (2000), and tied the knot with him in 2005.
An Adorable Lovestory
The pair began dating shortly after the film and decided to settle down for good after four years of courtship. Namrata and Mahesh had a grand ceremony at the iconic J.W. Mariott in the city of Mumbai before they shifted to Hyderabad to start their family. Here’s what Namrata had to say about giving up her career in order to raise a family, “There was never a burning desire to be a top actress in the first place. I happily gave up my career to marry Mahesh. And luckily, in the 14 years of our marriage, there has never been a single moment of regret or bitterness. People find it hard to believe that we’re so happy together after all these years.”
The actress had responded to a lot of people’s questions about why she had given up her budding career to settle down and be a housewife. The sad reality is that if she had chosen to continue working, people would have criticized her for not spending enough time with her children but because she chose to stay at home, they were questioning her decision to do so. It seemed like a lose-lose citation for the actress, whichever way she turned. However, the actress and her husband are happily married and too busy raising their two children to care about what others have to say about them.
Settling Into Family Life
For Namrata and Mahesh, it was love at first sight. The pair were absolutely smitten with one another and were the talk of the town in Tollywood. After tying the knot in 2005, the pair welcomed their firstborn, a son, a year later. The pair went on to have a daughter later and they named her Sitara in the year 2012. Although Mahesh is now a superstar in the South, the pair has been relatively quiet about their marriage and day to day life. Namrata admits it’s because Mahesh does not like their relationship being out in the open and is a quiet person.
During an interview, the actress had said, “I don’t have even a moment of regret for leaving my career behind. I was never career-oriented, not in the way other heroines are. Of course, I took my work seriously, but I never solicited work and never sought fame or money. I got what came to me. I remember getting a call from Mrs. Jaya Bachchan after my film Vaastav saying I should have got the National award for my performance. Those rare moments of acknowledgment were enough reward for my career.”
No Regrets
Namrata has been very clear that she has absolutely no regrets in her decisions. She has spoken about how Mahesh had been clear about his desire to have a non-working wife from the start and that it was a decision they had made together. She spoke about how she already had more than enough luxuries of her own before she married the South Indian superstar. She spoke about how they prefer living a rather low-key lifestyle and don’t consider themselves as party animals. The pair aren’t spotted at events very often even being in the luxurious city and Namrata says they would rather just sit at home and spend time as a family.
Namrata spoke about how Mahesh receives a lot of attention from women in the South but it doesn’t bother her. She spoke about how girls adore their superstars but Mahesh knows exactly where to draw the line. She had spoken about how the couple was very quiet about their relationship during their initial dating period as Mahesh wanted his parents to know about their relationship before the media found out. She added that Mahesh had wanted his career to be stable before he introduced Namrata to his parents. She spoke about how the media was hounding her to admit that they were seeing each other but the pair kept their silence. According to Namrata, Mahesh always put family before work and made sure that he never compromised in that area.
At the end of the day, it is important for people to remember that a woman’s choice to work should be just that. A woman’s choice. Nobody should push her to work if she is uncomfortable doing so and nobody should force her to sit at home if she wants to work. Ultimately, women should be given the opportunities to further their dreams and plans while also having children. Why should any woman have to compromise over having a family life or pursuing a career? Do let us know your thoughts on this article in the comment section and let us know if you think a woman should not have to compromise between her career and raising her children.
