My intention was not to offend or hurt anyone, clarifies Mira Rajput on her comments on working mothers

Actor Shahid Kapoor’s wife Mira Rajput had grabbed headlines for her comment on working mothers by saying that her baby is not a puppy and she always wants to be by her side. This statement was misconstrued and not received well by many working mothers and many of them penned open letters to Mira talking about how they don’t have the luxury to afford staying at home all the time with their kids. In fact, some even thought that she took an indirect dig at Shahid Kapoor’s ex-girlfriend Kareena Kapoor Khan who also turned mother to a cute baby boy Taimur last December as Bebo has been on her toes ever since. But, Shahid Kapoor being a protective husband had a reply to every person who misunderstood her statement. (Also Read: Shahid Kapoor’s wife Mira Rajput gets fined by traffic police?)

Now on the occasion of Mother’s Day, Mira Rajput clarified her statement in an interview with Bombay Times. She said, “I was just speaking my mind, my intention was not to offend or hurt anyone. Could I have chosen my words better? Maybe. But I am not a seasoned actor and I don’t know how to be politically correct. I was speaking for a section of women who aren’t given their due. For that matter, I don’t think financial independence is the only yardstick to measure feminism. Women who stay at home and take care of the children or work from home deserve to be celebrated as much. They are also feminists in their own right because they have chosen their lives… even if they have not, they are giving it their all.”

She further explained, “My mom balanced her career and motherhood. There was never a time when I felt that she was not around. That’s the essence of what I was trying to say . I don’t want to cross the fine line between independence and negligence. The Bill on sixmonth paid maternity leave was passed recently and it’s to enable a woman to spend time with her baby . It’s not just for physical recovery; had that been the case, adoptive mothers wouldn’t have been eligible for it. It’s to nurture the bonding between a mother and her child. That’s all that I meant.” She added that she is entitled to have an opinion by saying, “Opinion is the fulcrum of the society . Everyone should have one, but people should also have the discretion to not shove it down somebody else’s throat. My intention was not to belittle working women, but I don’t want homemakers belittled either. There was a lot of flak, but that’s their opinion. I was just voicing mine.”

So, as we hear rumours of her bagging offers for endorsements, will she accept them and prove her detractors wrong?

Prajakta Ajgaonkar

Passionate about writing, and a Bollywood lover, she is all that is sweet and endearing! She desires to put her best foot forward in everything that she does and loves to help anyone who’s in need.