Mirzapur Star Shweta Tripathi Reflects On Why She Chose Not To Have Children

Motherhood should be a choice, but society often considers it the natural next step after marriage. We may be heading towards 2027, but unfortunately, a woman's worth is often defined by whether she is married or has children.

Soha Ali Khan's latest guest on her podcast, All About Her, was Mirzapur star Shweta Tripathi. She spoke candidly about how she went from wanting children to deciding not to have any.

Mirzapur Star Shweta Tripathi Reflects On Why She Chose Not To Have Children

Speaking about motherhood, Shweta Tripathi said, "I think once you become a mother, you become a superhuman because I have seen my friends and my own sister-in-law."

She added that she cannot fathom how previous generations managed it all. However, when she speaks to her friends now, they often say that nobody tells aspiring or soon-to-be parents what it is actually like to become a parent. Everyone talks about the overwhelming emotions and what a beautiful journey it is, but nobody talks about the other side of parenting.

"And the list is long. So, hats off to all the mothers because I think it takes a lot of courage, strength, and sacrifice, and it's very tough," the actor added.

She shared that she loves children. In fact, she remembers attending a wedding as a child and coming across a cute kid. Since then, she has been "obsessed" with children, found them "adorable," and always thought of embracing parenthood someday.

She added that she always wanted to have a child who was "like a monkey." Laughing, she explained that she wanted a well-behaved and polite child who was also wild and curious when it came to exploring the world. The actor wanted a child who could make their own choices and be independent.

But her experience in an unhealthy relationship changed her thoughts about parenthood. "I don't know when that switch happened for me, but I do remember one point where I was with somebody, and we were not in the best phase of our relationship," she said, adding that it made her think about how women often end up mothering their partners as well.

Shweta Tripathi realised that this is what it is like to be a parent. "Because for everything, the onus doesn't have to be on the woman and it is not just about the child but also about taking care of the house, also taking care of the adult child. So I remember thinking, 'I don't want to be the only one carrying those responsibilities,'" she added.

The actor married Chaitanya Sharma, an actor, rapper, and writer whose stage name is SlowCheeta, in June 2018. Praising her husband, she added that he is different, her best friend, and her favourite person.

Shweta Tripathi also got her AMH levels tested, which, according to the reports, were quite low. "That, for me, was a huge shock. I remember being really upset because I wanted the choice to be mine. I didn't want somebody else telling me, 'Oh, you can't have a child.' Even at that time, I was still figuring out whether I wanted to have a child or not," she shared.

The actor and her husband had discussed having children. The conversation started with wanting to have two children, then one, and eventually evolved into a decision to remain child-free.

"It was not a conscious choice. We are happy. We are very happy. And obviously, the joy that a child or children bring is something that cannot be compared to not having them. But I have met women and asked them about having children, and they were honest enough to say that while they love their child, if given a choice today, they might not have children. And that has nothing to do with the child. They love their children, but because they have already experienced motherhood, they might choose differently now," she added.

She realised that many of these women are balancing careers while motherhood can be time-consuming and emotionally demanding. The actor wants women like her to know that not having a child is okay. "If you're choosing your ambition, your career, or your personal life, it's all right," she concluded.

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