Entrepreneur-philanthropist Upasana Kamineni Konidela, wife of actor Ram Charan, reveals she is “due in July”. “Like every parent, we are also excited,” she says, adding how her actor-husband has been “very supportive” throughout her pregnancy. 

The 36-year-old hasn’t taken any time off from work and wishes to be an advocate for working mothers: “I do have a lot of help, but the thing is that I also want to be a hands-on mother. While being a hands-on mother, I want to try and strike the perfect balance between taking care of my child and my career at the same time. I’m still figuring out how I can use myself as an example to get more women back into the workforce as soon as possible without compromising the well-being of their child.” 

Additionally, the entrepreneur aims to raise awareness in the corporate world. “Why is maternity leave only structured for six months and not three months or nine months. And why can’t it be personalized? Health care is very affordable in our country. We must know the different channels to actually afford it. While I have all this support, I know my organization is going to take care of my childbirth. So my insurance will cover me. So even I will be using insurance for my child’s birth,” she says.

Konidela and Charan have been married for over a decade now. Over the 10 years of their relationship, the two have grown together, and she believes life has changed for them after the phenomenon that RRR (2022) was: “Life was very different before the movie. We got to see a whole different world, and it was a beautiful experience for both of us.”