Actors Rubina Dilaik and Abhinav Shukla welcomed their twin daughters – Jeeva and Edhaa – in November last year. Rubina has now opened up about navigating her career after becoming a mother, revealing some unexpected challenges. She made the revelations in a new episode of her chat show Kisine Bataya Nahi as she discussed her parenthood journey with actor Sharad Kelkar.
‘I am being asked to play bhabhi’
Addressing the existing stigma against female actors, Rubina said in Hindi, “When female actors welcome kids, they are being categorised in a certain way… (Despite losing the baby weight) I am being asked to play bhabhi-type (sister-in-law type) roles on the whole.”
‘Male actor’s shelf life is slightly longer as lead’
Sharad chimed in to say, “I will tell you, it is a very brutal truth, but that’s a fact, you can’t deny it – a male actor’s shelf life is slightly longer than a female actor’s shelf life as a lead… it is not about being biased, it is practical. Because you (Rubina) came at 18 (as a lead) and you became a star of television for at least 10 years, ab bari dusro ki hai (Now it is other people’s chance to rule like you).”
‘A huge change not just for me but my entire family’
In December 2023, new mom Rubina had spoken to HT City about being a first-time parent. She had said, “Our twin pregnancy is the first pregnancy, so there is not really a benchmark to compare to know which one is easier or tougher. We were preparing ourselves over these nine months. Had it been a single pregnancy, then also the preparations would have been the same.”
As she navigated the early days of parenthood, Rubina also said, “There is so much going on, and it is a huge change not just for me but the entire family. Everybody is accommodating into this new life. It’s too early to comment on anything about the motherhood part of it, but I can feel the change, and that change will eventually transpire into something meaningful over time. That’s all I can see and experience for myself.”
More about Rubina
Rubina, who turned 35 this year, is known for TV shows such as Chotti Bahu, Shakt, Punar Vivah – Ek Nayi Umeed and Jeannie Aur Juju. In 2020, she emerged as the winner of Bigg Boss 14. She participated in Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 12 and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10 – in which she finished as the 1st runner-up – both in 2022.
