Actor Sushmita Sen became a single mother at 24 when she adopted her elder daughter, Renee Sen, in 2000. However, her decision faced significant resistance within the industry.
During an interview with NDTV, Sushmita reflected on the resistance she faced from the industry after deciding to adopt a child.
She recalled that her manager even chose to stop representing her, warning that she would no longer get even character roles after becoming a mother.
Sushmita said, “My manager ran away. He said, 'You're not serious about your career, and I can't represent someone who's a mother at 24. Character roles bhi nahi milenge aapko (You won’t even get character roles).' He ran away, and I was like, good riddance to bad rubbish.
The actor added that most of the resistance came from other women, although she believes things are gradually changing now.
She shared, “But what it did take was to say, these are the rules - you take them, or you leave them. And my thing was, I'm a self-made woman. I don't have godfathers. Nobody gave me a platform. I did everything on my own.
Some of Sushmita's hits after becoming a mother include films such as Main Hoon Na (2004) with Shah Rukh Khan and Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya (2005) with Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan.
