Actor Konkona Sen Sharma is gearing up for the release of her upcoming film, Metro In Dino, directed by Anurag Basu. While promoting the film, she told about the real struggles working mothers face. She stressed the need for change—both in the industry and in society.

Konkona Highlights the Motherhood Penalty

Konkona pointed out a harsh truth about the workplace. She said there’s a clear divide between how society treats working mothers and fathers. According to her, “in today’s day and age, there is a certain motherhood penalty in any industry, which happens.”

She explained that men often benefit after becoming fathers, while women face losses. “It’s called the fatherhood premium and the motherhood penalty,” she said. She added, “fathers, as they have children and they become more and more senior, they earn more and more. But for women with every child, there is a financial setback because you’re not able to kind of participate in the way society expects you to or for that matter what the office work demands.”

She Urges Governments to Act

Konkona didn’t stop at highlighting the issue—she offered a solution. She said governments must step in. Otherwise, women will stop choosing motherhood.

“Now what’s going to happen ultimately is that women are not incentivized to have children at all because it’s becoming more and more difficult,” she warned. She continued, “to participate in the work life, and to be a good mother at the same time is becoming more and more difficult.”

She clearly stated that “this is something that eventually the governments will have to kind of change policies for working mothers. Otherwise it’s not going to happen.”

Her Own Experience Adds Weight

Konkona speaks from experience. She married actor Ranvir Shorey in 2010. They separated in 2015 and divorced in 2020. They share a son named Haroon.

Her Film Releases on July 4

Meanwhile, she’s also excited about her new film. Metro In Dino hits theatres on July 4. The film features a big cast, including Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Pankaj Tripathi, Neena Gupta, and Anupam Kher.