Bollywood actress Shweta has spoken candidly about the emotional toll of learning her fertility levels were low, saying the news upset her primarily because she felt her freedom of choice was being taken away — even at a time when she had not yet decided whether she wanted children at all. She made the revelation during an appearance on Soha Ali Khan's podcast All About Her, which streams on YouTube.

The Fertility Discovery and What It Meant

Shweta recalled the moment she received the news about her fertility levels, describing her reaction as one rooted in autonomy rather than a definitive desire for motherhood. 'I remember I was really upset because I was like, I wanted the choice to be mine. Like I don't want somebody else telling me that, oh, you can't have a child. Even if let's say that time I was thinking I don't know if I want to have a child or not,' she said.

Her account reflects a broader conversation that younger women are increasingly having — one where reproductive choices are framed not just as questions of biology, but of personal agency and self-determination.

On the Realities of Motherhood

Shweta also shared how her perception of motherhood has shifted over the years, shaped by watching close friends and her own sister-in-law navigate parenting. She described the experience as far removed from what is typically presented to women before they become mothers.

'First of all, I think once you become a mother, you become a superhuman because I have seen my friends, my own sister-in-law, and we live together. It's easy. It's the exact opposite of that,' she said. She went on to note that her peers, too, felt unprepared: 'Nobody spoke to us about this. That this is also what happens. And the list is long. So hats off to all the mothers because I think it takes a lot of courage and strength and sacrifice and it's very tough.'

Marriage, Parenthood Pressure and a 'Lucky' Exception

When podcast host Soha Ali Khan asked about the social expectations Shweta has faced around marriage and children, the actress acknowledged she has been comparatively fortunate. She married at 33, and while pre-marriage she fielded persistent questions about 'when she would settle down,' she says pressure around having children has been largely absent — something she credits to supportive families.

'Luckily, both my families have been very supportive. They obviously wanted to become grandparents and masi and everything, but they were never pushy. They never made me feel uncomfortable,' she said. She added, however, that she is aware this is not the norm, recounting how relatives quickly turned to her after her sister-in-law gave birth with questions about when she would share her own 'good news.'

The Podcast and Its Larger Context

The episode is part of All About Her, Soha Ali Khan's ongoing YouTube series that explores how younger generations in India are rethinking relationships, marriage, and parenthood against the backdrop of shifting social and economic realities. Conversations around fertility awareness, reproductive autonomy, and the unequal burdens placed on women in marriage have gained significant traction in recent years, with more public figures choosing to speak openly about experiences that were once considered private or taboo.

Shweta's account adds a personal dimension to a public discourse that is still evolving in India, where family pressure around childbearing remains common despite changing attitudes among urban, working women.