For over two decades, Swastika Mukherjee has charted her own course through the film industry, refusing to conform and speaking her mind without apology. As a single, working mother, she has balanced the demands of both worlds, often in the face of unsolicited advice and systemic bias.
“I never had to compromise on my duties as a mother,” she says. “My daughter accompanied me on outdoor shoots. During the filming of Qala, she travelled with me to Kashmir as her college had a break. That was always a priority — to be there for her.”
The actress, however, recalls facing prejudice in spaces one might assume were more progressive. “I had a particularly difficult experience with a private English-medium school in Kolkata. I was grilled for attending a parent-teacher meeting alone. I expected them to be broad-minded, but what I faced was judgement”.
It is not just society at large. The entertainment industry, Mukherjee says, has its own coded ways of discouraging visibility for actress-mothers.
“Senior actors had told me not to talk about my child in interviews. The idea is that since the audience is largely male, mothers are not seen as desirable. But I reject that mindset completely. If I need to be desirable, I’ll do that with a child.”
Mukherjee’s stance comes at a time when the film industry is once again grappling with how it treats actress-mothers. Deepika Padukone’s alleged exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit — reportedly due to postpartum-related scheduling requests and contract renegotiations — has reignited debate on how motherhood is accommodated in male-driven productions.
“The real problem is not Deepika seeking adjustments,” says Mukherjee. “The real issue is patriarchy. If a film is not driven by a female character, schedules are always tailored to the hero’s convenience.”
She adds that such rigidity isn’t universal. “During the filming of Laal Singh Chaddha, Aamir Khan postponed the shoot to accommodate Kareena Kapoor Khan’s pregnancy. So, we cannot generalise”.
Despite the pressure to conform, Mukherjee remains unfazed. “I don’t believe my relevance or stardom has diminished because I’m a mother. There are only two choices — either you conform or live on your own terms. I chose the latter.”
