Bollywood actor Soha Ali Khan made her comeback to films after a long hiatus with Chhorii 2. In a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India , Soha opened up about losing her career and friends due to motherhood and expressed her support for Deepika Padukone’s demand for an eight-hour work shift, citing her own desire to be home by 7 p.m. for her daughter, Inaaya.
Soha Ali Khan talks about motherhood
Soha embraced motherhood in 2017 at the age of 38, when she welcomed her daughter Inaaya. Speaking about how motherhood changed her, Soha said, “I lost my entire identity in motherhood. I lost my friends, I temporarily lost my husband. I forgot everything. I chose to have Inaaya late as well, when I was 38. Because I understood it’s going to happen. I tend to do one thing very passionately. So for the first three years, it was all about her-to the extent that I had to find balance again. But that’s my personality. So I understood that work and friendship would take a back seat.”
Soha Ali Khan backs Deepika Padukone’s 8-hour shift demand
Soha went on to explain that she is now trying to strike a balance between work and personal life. She added, “But still, by 7 p.m. I start getting anxious because it’s my bedtime ritual with her. So even when I was on set, I burst into tears once because we were in Rajasthan, shooting, and I hadn’t seen her all day. I am very sympathetic to new mums and their needs. I totally understand where Deepika is coming from. At 7, if you don’t pack up with me, I’ll run off. I’m sure some people will be like, ‘Don’t hire her (Soha) because she could be tough-she’s going to want to run home after 7.’ That was a career hit I was ready to take at 38, after achieving a lot.”
Deepika Padukone was reportedly set to star in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit. However, after news of her exit surfaced, reports suggested the filmmaker was not in agreement with some of Deepika’s conditions, including an eight-hour work shift, not speaking her dialogues in Telugu, and a share in the film’s profits. She was eventually replaced by Triptii Dimri.
Meanwhile, Soha was last seen in the film Chhorii 2, which also starred Gashmeer Mahajani and Nushrratt Bharuccha. Directed by Vishal Furia, the horror film saw Soha playing an evil daasi, and she was praised for her performance. The film is available to stream on Prime Video. Soha is yet to announce her next project.