Actress Rubina Dilaik has opened up about the deep emotional toll of being away from her twin daughters as she films the stunt-based reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi 15 in Cape Town, South Africa. The actress, currently on a 40-day schedule in Cape Town, described the moment her daughters cry for her on video calls as one that 'brings her heart to her mouth.'

The Video Call That Says It All

Rubina described the emotional weight of being separated from her daughters with striking candour. 'There are video calls but not that physical warmth. Whenever they cry Mama aajao, Mama aajao on video call — that brings my heart to my mouth,' she said. The actress acknowledged that digital connection, however frequent, cannot substitute for the physical presence a young child needs from a parent.

Rubina and her husband, actor Abhinav Shukla, welcomed their twin daughters in 2023. The girls are barely two years old, making this extended separation particularly difficult.

Motherhood Versus Ambition: A Conflict She Owns

Rather than projecting confidence, Rubina was candid about her unpreparedness. 'I don't know how I am going to balance it. I am also not prepared for it. Actually, nobody prepares you for motherhood and such are the challenges which all the working mothers are facing,' she said. Her admission resonates with a reality that millions of working mothers in India navigate daily — the absence of a clear roadmap for balancing professional ambition with parental responsibility.

Yet Rubina was firm that emotional difficulty is not a reason to stop dreaming. 'That also doesn't give us an excuse to not dream big. I want to dream big, take my family along, make my daughters feel that mama lived her dream with us along her journey. That's my entire intention,' she added.

Her Biggest Rival on KKK 15: Her Own Emotions

When asked whether missing her daughters could compromise her performance on Khatron Ke Khiladi season 15 — a show notorious for its high-stakes physical stunts — Rubina did not deflect. 'It will always play against me. It will always and I am absolutely aware of it,' she said plainly.

She elaborated on the psychological mechanism at play: 'As a mother, nature makes you hypervigilant. Nature kicks in that protectiveness and that fearlessness. So, that fearlessness and that protective instinct, it can work against you.' Her self-awareness sets up an unusual narrative for the season — most contestants battle external danger, while Rubina has identified her internal emotional state as her primary obstacle.

'Whenever I feel that it's overwhelming, I will have to calm myself down because that's the real test for me. For others, facing dangers will be a challenge. For me, facing my inner self will be a greater challenge,' she said.

The Broader Picture for Working Mothers

Rubina's candour arrives at a moment when the conversation around working mothers in the Indian entertainment industry is gaining visibility. Her willingness to name the conflict — rather than perform composure — adds a layer of authenticity rarely seen in pre-show promotional circuits. This comes amid a broader cultural shift where public figures are increasingly expected to acknowledge, not minimise, the personal costs of professional ambition.

With Khatron Ke Khiladi 15 filming underway in Cape Town, Rubina's journey on the show will be watched not just for stunt performance but for how she manages the emotional undercurrent she has so openly described.