It's no secret that Bollywood (the Indian version of Hollywood based out of Mumbai, India) is blatantly sexist. For years, Indian actresses were expected to be unmarried while romancing on-screen with married male actors often twice their age.
Bollywood actresses over the years clung on to their celebrity status while keeping relationships under wraps. And when marriage beckoned, their careers were as good as over.
Aishwarya Rai, crowned Miss World in 1994, effectively changed this when she publicly married into one of the most famous celebrity families in India, where father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan has been elevated to demi-God status for years. Rai Bachchan even appeared on Oprah with her husband and continued starring in Indian and international movies–with a rock firmly on her finger.
To be sure, the director in question, Madhur Bhandarkar, is rightfully miffed that Rai Bachchan might have revealed her pregnancy to him earlier; he found out via her father-in-law's Twitter feed that she is four months along. Bhandarkar has called the film, Heroine, "my most ambitious project of my career."
The entire event would not have taken place if on the onset the actress would have informed the state of her health and impending maternity. The truth was hidden from us. We learnt about the entire thing from news channels like the rest of the world that the said actress was four-months pregnant and she was due in November.
But the fact is that I can also understand her aversion to having this conversation. Which brings me to the larger cultural problem of matrimony and maternity. Close friends have taken off wedding rings for jobs interviews, or kept impending motherhood under wraps for as long as possible.
In this part of the world, it's universally accepted that women who are married and approaching mommyhood are passed over for promotions, regardless of the industry.
A good friend in Singapore, who is pregnant, informed her employers as soon as she knew about her pregnancy. Her employers said they would hire a temp to cover her while she was gone. They promised her job would be secure when she returned after maternity leave. Now, less than a month until she gives birth, she's found that they've hired someone full-time to take over her job.
While her job is still secure contractually, the reality is that when she comes back, her job will probably be in jeopardy. She went down the ethical route and still got played out.
Heroine is now shelved "out of concern for the actress' "good health and well-being in face of incredibly demanding shooting schedules," according to Bhandarkar and production house UTV officials.
Meanwhile, the Hindustan Times reports a source close to actress as saying, "Aishwarya is shocked at Madhur's attitude. She is pregnant, not sick or bedridden, and is perfectly capable of shooting." "They felt she will look overweight and unglamorous," the source added.
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