Actor Neha Dhupia admits that shooting through her third trimester comes with a lot of struggle. But she’s putting all the energy into her work to set a precedent, with a hope of bringing about change in the business, so that there’s more work for pregnant women.

“Shooting during the Coronavirus times is hard. Plus, I’m in my third trimester, so the exhaustion is more. But, I’m doing this to prove that if I can do it, others can, too,” says Dhupia, who turns 41 today.

She points out that a lot of women are forced to choose between their personal or professional lives.

“If I can strike a balance now, things might change in the business. I hope this would result in more roles, not just for women, but pregnant women as well,” says the Chup Chup Ke (2006) actor.

Dhupia, a mother to two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Mehr, shuns the misconception that being pregnant means one has to sit at home.

“Why should it be, ‘Now, I’m going to make some personal choices, which would require me to take a sabbatical?’ You don’t want to take four steps backwards from where you left your career. Since I’ve been through it, I know how it can break you. I’m setting an example and hoping to change things for women in the business. If a woman is pregnant, don’t deprive her of her work life,” says Dhupia, who’s married to actor Angad Bedi.

While the Tumhari Sulu (2017) actor’s work is keeping her busy — she recently stepped out to dub for her film, Sanak — she intends to take a break with family on her birthday.

“We may travel somewhere close to home. I can’t go far, because I need to have access to medical attention right now. My birthday plan revolves around what Angad wants to do, but he’s very accommodative. We really wanted to travel out. Last year, we were in Mumbai because of the pandemic, and this year, we can’t (travel out) because I’m super pregnant,” concludes Dhupia.