Motherhood not all warm and fuzzy: Bollywood actor's play spotlights messier side

Motherhood not all warm and fuzzy: Bollywood actor's play spotlights messier side The arrival of a child is often celebrated as a moment of joy, yet motherhood is not always warm and fuzzy; it can also be messy and untidy. This perspective is explored in Belly of the Beast, a new play created by Bollywood actor Kalki Koechlin and theatre director Sheena Khalid. Adapted from Kalki’s 2021 book, The Elephant in the Womb—written just months after she gave birth—the production offers an unflinching examination of motherhood and the wide range of emotions women experience. The narrative follows five women at different stages of motherhood, from pregnancy and labour to raising young children, while addressing bodily changes, sleepless nights, and the challenge of balancing work demands. Alongside these themes, the play confronts darker realities such as abortion, miscarriage, and postpartum depression. In India, where marriage and motherhood are frequently portrayed as the ultimate destiny and a sacred duty for most women, a production that openly discusses the discomforts of parenting represents a notable shift. Kalki explained to the BBC, “Women are seldom allowed to explicit the acheronian feelings - the difficulties they face, the hormonal changes they spell through, the nonaccomplishment of individuality oregon postpartum depression.” She added, “The speech in India focuses on the acquisition and how beautiful motherhood is and how blessed we are to be in India is each astir the acquisition of motherhood and how beauteous motherhood is and how blessed we are to be mothers. But that life-giving process is so transformational that there is definitely a portion of you that is also grieving and losing identity, losing who you were before.” Sheena Khalid noted that the creative team sought to balance the heavy subject matter with moments of relief. “We felt there needed to be a consciousness of alleviation and levity for the audience. So, we can ease in and out of it. Otherwise, it’s a lot.” The play premiered in Delhi to a standing ovation. Despite its serious themes, the two‑hour‑ten‑minute production was praised for its pacing and humour. Kalki revealed that her book emerged from her personal experience of pregnancy and parenting during the Covid lockdown. “I was going through postpartum depression. We were rather isolated; I couldn’t meet other mothers, there was no community around me. That was a tough time. Yet it was profoundly cathartic to write the book and speak about the kind of psychic scenery mothers undergo after giving birth.” After restrictions lifted, Kalki said she encountered mothers whose experiences varied widely, yet she observed a universal thread of shared challenges. “There are certain challenges which every parent can relate to. I wanted to capture that in this play,” she said. The work also reflects the broader reality for many Indian women, for whom childcare remains primarily their responsibility. A recent report cited by the Times of India indicates that childcare and housework keep about 69 percent of urban women out of the labour force, compared with just 1 percent for men. Kalki observed that women who pursue careers often feel compelled to work doubly hard. “There’s so much pressure because we’re told we’re fortunate to live in a time where we can work and be mothers and have it all. Yet at the same time there’s an expectation to be some kind of supermum, and we don’t get slack on the home front. We have to be the CEOs of the household at all times.” She added that many women internalise this expectation, often checking on their children’s needs even during work. “Many times I’ll be in the middle of a shoot and I’ll be calling my daughter’s nanny and organising her tiffin. I think it comes from this aspiration to be the perfect mum. But allowing fathers or other family members to step in is important. We wanted women to know that if they share the load, everything won’t fall apart. It’s alright to drop the ball and not feel liable for every detail.” Actress Shruti Vyas, who portrays a woman attempting—and failing—to conceive, said her role draws from her own miscarriage. “I wanted to put it out there that there is pain that might not be visible from the outside, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t experiencing it.” When Shruti suffered her miscarriage, she frequently heard comments such as, “but you’re looking fine. you don’t look like you’ve had a miscarriage.” She explained, “It’s one of those common things people say. Sometimes they say it because they’re awkward and don’t know what the right thing to say is. Also people don’t know exactly what the appropriate time for grieving is. And you yourself can’t tell them until what point in time you will feel the pain.” She continued, “So, I wanted to tell the world without blame, without judgement, without expectation that if someone is not looking fine, don’t tell them you’re fine. It’s okay to not be okay as well.” The audience in Delhi responded strongly to this message. As Shruti’s character moves from saying, “hey don’t worry, I’m okay, it’s okay, you don’t need to worry about it” to declaring, “actually, I’m not okay, and that should be okay, right?” many spectators replied, “yes, it should be okay.” Ultimately, Belly of the Beast presents not only Kalki’s and the actors’ story but also echoes the experiences of countless Indian women who shoulder the bulk of childcare, perform the heavy lifting expected of them, and devote endless hours to rearing children—efforts that are often taken for granted. Read the full story at BBC News →