South superstar Ram Charan’s wife, Upasana Kamineni Konidela, triggered an important debate over women ‘freezing eggs’ to focus on their career.
Apart from being a superstar’s wife, Upasana is also an entrepreneur by profession, so her idea of women freezing their eggs to have autonomy over when they want to embrace motherhood is not wrong; however, her statement did receive backlash. To address the issue, Upasana took to her X (formerly Twitter) account and expressed her thoughts yet again, being firm on her stance. She wrote, “I’m happy to have sparked a healthy debate & thank you for your respectful responses.”
Upasana Konidela responds to backlash after ‘freeze your eggs’ comment
In a lengthy statement, addressing the debate of whether women should freeze their eggs, Upasana said, “Is it wrong for a woman to marry for love instead of giving in to societal pressure? Is it wrong for her to wait until she finds the right partner? Is it wrong for a woman to choose when she wants to have children based on her own circumstances? Is it wrong for a woman to set her goals and focus on her career rather than only thinking of marriage or having children early?”
Drawing from her own experience of when she married Ram Charan, Upasana said, “FACT CHECK: I married for love and companionship at 27-a choice I made on my own terms. At 29, I decided to freeze my eggs for personal and health reasons, something I’ve always spoken about openly to encourage other women to explore their options. (for the record, it wasn’t at Apollo).”
She added, “I welcomed my first child at 36 and am now expecting twins at 39. Throughout my journey, I have given equal importance to building my career and nurturing my marriage, because a happy, stable environment matters deeply when raising a family. For me, marriage and career are not competing priorities – they are equally meaningful parts of a fulfilled life. But I decide the timeline! That’s not privilege; it’s my right!!!”
What is the ‘egg freeze controversy’ that Ram Charan’s wife, Upasana Konidela, responded to?
At a recent interview in Hyderabad, Upasana Konidela opened up about the subject of “freezing eggs” to have children later and for women to have a choice to focus on their careers. In a video shared on her X account, Upasana could be heard saying, “The biggest insurance for women is to freeze their eggs. Because then you can choose when to get married and when you want to have kids, on your own terms, when you are financially independent.”
The post drew polarising responses from fans. While some thought motherhood fulfills a woman and she should prioritise it over her career, others thought that it is liberating for a woman to have a choice of when she wants to have kids.
Talking about Upasana and Ram, the couple tied the knot in 2012. They welcomed their daughter in 2023, when Upasana was 34. The couple is now reportedly expecting twins.
Bollywood celebs who chose egg freezing
Egg freezing, over the years, has become a substantial option for many women who wish to secure their fertility and take command of their reproductive future. Many celebrities have opted for this option, prompting others to feel confident in their choices.
Priyanka Chopra has openly spoken about her decision to freeze her eggs in her 30s. The actress had explained that helping keep her options for motherhood open helped her to chase her professional dreams without worry.
Not only Bollywood actors, but also other celebs and public figures have been focused on the benefits of egg freezing. One of them is Mithali Raj, an Indian cricketer and former captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, who chose to freeze her eggs in her early 30s, thanks to the demands of her cricket career.
Other celebrities who chose to freeze their eggs to claim autonomy over their reproductive health include Ekta Kapoor, Richa Chadha, Mrunal Thakur, Farah Khan, Preity Zinta, Sushmita Sen, and Tanishaa Mukerji, among others.