Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra has opened up about one of the most persistent questions faced by women in the entertainment industry: should becoming a mother affect their professional opportunities?
Speaking at the trailer launch of her upcoming Netflix series Shaque: Trust No One, Parineeti said motherhood has not changed the type of roles being offered to her and made it clear that she does not want becoming a parent to bring her acting career to a halt.
Her comments have renewed the wider conversation around women balancing motherhood and demanding careers.
“I Would Hate to Stop Working”
Parineeti explained that filmmakers have not treated her differently since she became a mother.
She said she could not recall a director, writer or producer approaching her with a role specifically shaped around the fact that she now has a child. For her, that absence of stereotyping represents progress.
“I would hate to stop working just because I became a mom,” the actress said, adding that losing professional opportunities simply because she had a baby would be upsetting.
Parineeti and politician Raghav Chadha welcomed their son in October 2025. Shaque: Trust No One marks her return to acting and her OTT series debut.
Parineeti Praises Alia, Deepika and Priyanka
Parineeti also pointed to actresses Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra as examples of women continuing to build successful careers after becoming mothers.
She argued that the attitude of audiences has changed significantly. Viewers are increasingly willing to accept female stars in diverse roles after motherhood rather than assuming marriage or children should end a heroine’s career.
“The audience is not cancelling mothers,” she said while discussing the shift in Bollywood.
For decades, female actors often faced assumptions that marriage and motherhood would reduce their commercial appeal. Parineeti believes the industry is gradually moving beyond that thinking.
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Sharing Parenting Duties With Raghav Chadha
Parineeti also spoke about how she and Raghav approach parenting.
According to the actress, responsibility for their son is shared between them. When she is working, Raghav takes care of the baby, and when his professional responsibilities require his attention, she steps in.
She described their arrangement as essentially 50-50 parenting, stressing that she wants their child to grow up seeing both parents actively involved in his life.
For Parineeti, pursuing a career does not mean being less present as a mother. She said she gives herself fully to work while on set and then returns home wanting to be completely present with her child.
Motherhood Has Changed Her Life, Not Her Ambition
Earlier this year, Parineeti also discussed the realities of new motherhood, including sleepless nights, “mom guilt,” postpartum challenges and the importance of having proper support after childbirth.
Those experiences have influenced how she manages her time, but they have not erased her ambition as an actor.
Her message is essentially that motherhood and professional identity should not have to exist in competition.
For women in film—and working mothers far beyond Bollywood—the issue is familiar. Having a child can change schedules, priorities and responsibilities, but it does not automatically diminish professional ability or ambition.
A Changing Bollywood?
Parineeti’s statement arrives at a time when several leading actresses are continuing high-profile careers after becoming parents.
She believes the change is being driven not only by producers and filmmakers but also by audiences. If viewers continue embracing mothers as leading actors, there is less incentive for the industry to impose outdated restrictions on them.
Her return with Shaque: Trust No One therefore represents more than another acting project. It also reflects a broader change in how motherhood and a woman’s professional identity are being discussed in mainstream Indian cinema.
Parineeti’s position is simple: becoming a mother may add a new role to a woman’s life, but it should not require her to surrender the career she has worked to build.
