Sushmita Sen: Unabashed, Fierce & Empowering Is The New Definition Of Motherhood Coined By The Actor

Sushmita Sen is an extraordinary woman who has always been unapologetic about her choices. She has always been outspoken, and that is why she is a flagbearer of unconventional choices. 

sushmita sen good mother project unapologetic fierce

The world has a definition of a good mother and a good woman. Someone who gets married at the ‘right age’, has kids, and sacrifices everything for the sake of the family is an ideal woman and mother. The same society has derogatory names for women who established premarital relationships, have kids out of wedlock and do not walk straight in line with the ideas of sacrifice, compromise, and adjustment for loved ones.

Actor and model Sushmita Sen is among HerZindagi’s flag bearers who gave two hoots about these patriarchal norms, carved her path and rose to success despite the world trying to pull her down. This Mother’s Day we are sharing her inspiring journey under the Good Mother Project which highlights women who were their own cheerleaders when society threw snarky comments on their choices.

Miss Universe 1994 has conquered the world by not bending its rules but by shattering stereotypical norms and persistently overcoming challenges. Sen is fierce, unabashed and empowering like her ‘sherni’ (lioness) character in the Hotstar web series ‘Aarya’.

Flagbearer Of Unconventional Choices

Sen entered the Femina Miss India pageant and dropped out. She told her mother that Aishwarya Rai was participating, and she stood no chance of winning. Her mother suggested participating and losing to Rai who she thought was the best among all the contestants. However, as fate had it, she won the crown and subsequently emerged as Miss Universe 1994 when she was in her late teenage years.

In an interview with Twinkle Khanna, Sen said she was ready to be a mother at the age of 19. But it was her mother who wanted her to explore the world before embracing motherhood. Finally, when she was only 24, she adopted a girl child, Renee, in 2000.

Some passed snarky comments on her decision and wondered who would marry her. In one of her posts, she wrote, “It was a big decision!! Many questioned it. Why adoption? How will you raise a child without being married? Are you ready to be a single parent? Do you realise the impact this decision will have on your professional and personal life? The questions and opinions were endless.”

However, none of it mattered to Sen because she did what her heart said was right. She knew she was ready to be a mother. “It turned out to be the best decision I ever made, one so profound… I made it twice!! Now I am blessed with two beautiful daughters: Renee and Alisah,” she added.

However, it wasn’t as easy as it seems. When Sen wanted to adopt Alisah, she had to fight a legal battle because a single parent was not allowed to adopt kids of the same gender. In 2010, when the Bombay High Court accepted her petition to adopt another girl child, she said, “Adoption is about reverence, it’s not charity. More and more people should come forward to adopt. We believe in ties of the heart, not just those of blood. I will adopt as many children as I can raise.”

Sen has not made unconventional choices in her personal life, but also in her career. Her first film was ‘Dastak’, a thriller film. She then starred in a Tamil musical ‘Ratchagan’ opposite South superstar Nagarjuna. She played the second woman in ‘Biwi No. 1’. Some of her blockbuster hits include, ‘Main Hoon Na’ (2004), ‘Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya?’ (2005) and ‘Zindaggi Rocks’ (2006).

One of her critically acclaimed films was ‘Filhaal’ (2002). It was Meghna Gulzar’s directorial debut and Sen received nominations for Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Unabashed, Outspoken And Fierce

In an old interview, Sen opened up about how mainstream cinema did not offer her what she wanted to do as an artist. After working in films for over a decade, she said it helped her set her priorities straight. “It told me what I need to do and what not to do,” the actor added.

Not just that, Sen has also addressed ageism in the Hindi film industry in the past. She said as the person grows older, they gain experience that they never had in their twenties. The maturity that comes with age helps an artist to add more substance and depth to their characters.

“And now, if you have depth and substance with some wrinkles and some lines… in my case, I believe it adds to your character… if you were to take away my depth and substance and just give me the beauty and make me Miss Universe, I would not settle for that today,” she added.

Sen is someone who has always been headstrong with her opinions and has always spoken her mind without giving regard to what people around her would say. In an interview with Outlook Magazine in 2018, the actor said she did not care about what people think if they are intimidated by an opinionated woman. The problem is in the mindset of that individual. I refuse to accept it. That’s all I know,” she further asserted.

Relationship And Family

Sen has always been out front with what is happening in her life. Whether it is a relationship or plastic surgery. In an interview with Twinkle Khanna, the actor said, “Khud ko khoya, to kya paaya (You gain nothing if you lose yourself).” She mentioned that she has always been truthful and gracious about men in her life, relationships and cosmetic procedures. “Whatever you think is a bad thing, get over it,” she advised.

She said it is never the person who is small but the mindset that drives such thoughts. She further added it was never that she did not make mistakes in her life. She had plenty of blunders but does not carry guilt, “because I never bullshit about them.”

Khanna asked her about relationships and marriage with two kids. Sen clarified that the moment she welcomed Renee into her life, every man she was in a relationship knew that her priority was her child. “There was no two ways about it.”

She also added unabashedly that she never expected anyone to share her responsibilities as a mother, however, she made it clear from the beginning that no one could ask her to step away from it.

The actor also confessed that she met a few interesting men in her life and came close to getting married thrice. Being single had nothing to do with her kids. Even when the world got to know about Sen dating Rohman Shawl, a man 15 years younger than her, people brutally trolled her on social media.

In an old interview, she said that Shawl kept his actual age hidden from her. But the two of them worked things out. Even after their break up, they remain friends and respectful of each other’s boundaries.

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Real-Life ‘Sherni’

Sen is a lioness not just in ‘Aarya’ but also in real life. She has faced several challenges in her life but kept her head high. Last year, businessman Lalit Modi updated his social handles and said he was dating the actor. He posted a series of images and called her a “better-looking partner.”

As soon as his posts went viral, society labelled Sen a gold digger. In a single post, she set netizens straight. Her caption read, “The so-called intellectuals with their idiosyncrasies…the ignorant with their cheap & at times funny gossip, the friend I never had & the acquaintances I’ve never met…all sharing their ground opinions & deep knowledge of my life & character…monetising the ‘God Digger’ all the way!!! Ah, these geniuses!!!”

She sum-up the post by saying, “I dig deeper than gold… I’ve always (famously) preferred diamonds!! And yes, I still buy them for myself.” She sure can because according to the GQ India report of 2022, she has a net worth of ₹74 crores.

She is someone who has always advised women to spend on themselves and be proud of their individualities and identities. She recently treated herself with ₹1.92 crore worth of Mercedes-AMG. She captioned the picture, "Beauty and the Beast."

Sen is a strong, empowered and unapologetic woman who inspires the young and old generations every day. Whether a millennial or Gen Z, everyone can pick lessons from her to slay in the patriarchal world.

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Post recovering from a heart attack, the actor is back on the sets shooting Aarya season three. We wish the HZ Flagbearer the best of health and future endeavours. Stay tuned to HerZindagi for more such inspiring stories.

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