As Metro…In Dino gears up for release, Konkona Sensharma is opening up about the silent struggles working mothers face in an industry that celebrates glamour yet refuses to look past the smoke. In a recent interview with Firstpost, 45-year-old actor responded to a question about work-life balance without sugarcoating reality. “I genuinely want to say that in today’s day and age, there is a certain motherhood penalty in any industry which happens. It’s called the fatherhood premium and the motherhood penalty,” she said. “Because what happens is that 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.”
Konkona’s remarks point to a wider conversation. “Now what’s going to happen ultimately is that women are not incentivised to have children at all because it’s becoming more and more difficult. You know, to participate in the work life, and to be a good mother at the same time is becoming more and more difficult,” she added. “So, I feel 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.”
In the movie, Kajal (Konkona’s character)is married to the second Monty (Pankaj Tripathi). About their relationship, the actor reveals, “What I like in this very much is that this is a couple who, I mean, we have a good marriage, everything is fine. But I think let’s say after 10-12 years of marriage, when you have your kids, you have your EMIs, you have your school fees, your jobs and all that, then I think there’s a domesticity that surrounds you.
I think this is a challenge that many couples face. Especially so many of us are in long-term relationships or are in long-term marriages, you know. And then after 10, 12 years, that initial spark and that romance or whatever, that spark is gone. Or at least it changes. So that is something that many I think couples grapple with, that issue. And I feel like Anurag has really handled that sensitively with a lot of humour. This I think many couples will relate to.”
Metro…In Dino boasts a powerhouse cast that includes Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Neena Gupta, Fatima Sana Shaikh, and Kay Kay Menon alongside Konkona and Panjak. For long-time fans of the Life in a… Metro (2007) soundtrack, the return of Pritam Chakraborty’s melodious vocals adds extra nostalgia, and while Irrfan Khan’s magnanimous presence will be missed, the film promises new dynamics that many are looking forward to.
