Breaking societal norms: Tanishaa Mukerji talks about freezing eggs
Neal 'n' Nikki actor Tanishaa Mukerji has opened up about freezing her eggs when she was 39, in a recent interview. She revealed her doctor gave the green signal only when she had "no hope of conceiving a baby," and that she believed it was "perfectly okay to not have children" or get married. The actress recently digitally debuted with Life Is Short.
'Wanted to do it at 33 but doctor suggested otherwise'
Speaking to ETimes, the former Bigg Boss contestant said she actually wanted to freeze her eggs when she was 33, but her doctor (the same one that did it later) advised her against it. "[The doctor] told me it takes a toll on your body," the 43-year-old mentioned, adding, she was advised to do it "when I have no hope of conceiving a baby."
What is egg freezing anyway?
Egg freezing is a fertility preservation technique where eggs are extracted from ovaries and frozen so they can be used in the future for any assisted reproductive technology (ART) process like in-vitro fertilization. It's usually most successful for women younger than 38 years of age.
Had put on a lot of weight then, recalled Mukerji
Interestingly, this topic came up when Mukerji was asked about going through a massive weight-loss journey. The ex-Khatron Ke Khiladi star revealed she had gained extra weight because of the procedure of freezing eggs. "They pump you with a lot of Progesterone and it bloats you a lot." Once it was done, she went under a "hardcore regime" to regain her fitness.
Mother Tanuja, sister Kajol have supported every call
When asked about breaking social norms by discussing egg freezing, the Sarkar actress said getting married and having children is not "the only calling" in a woman's life. "It's okay to not define yourself with a man beside you." She also revealed her mother veteran actress Tanuja and sister Kajol are both "strong women," who have been "very supportive, progressive and forward-thinking."
She plays disillusioned superstar in recent short film
Having debuted in 2003, Mukerji has always been compared to her superstar family members. But the Anna actress shrugged those comparisons off. "No two people in this world can be compared." Notably, her newly released short film will see her play Debika, a schizophrenic superstar who has become disillusioned. It was screened at NFDC Film Bazaar and New Jersey Indian & International Film Festival.
