From winning hearts in love stories to carving her space in some of contemporary cinema’s most anticipated films, Kiara Advani has built a career that blends relatability with undeniable star power. Audiences have connected with her warmth and emotional honesty in films like Kabir Singh, Satyaprem Ki Katha and Jugjugg Jeeyo, but her journey has never been confined to romance alone.With films like War 2 and now the much-anticipated Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, she is stepping into a larger cinematic canvas.

On Rustomjee presents the Bombay Times Lounge, Kiara joins us at a defining moment in her life — balancing the demands of stardom with the emotions of new motherhood, and reflecting on the choices, risks and relationships that have shaped her journey so far. Here’s a sneak peek into an intimate conversation with the actress.

The actress says some of the biggest turning points in her career came from instinctive choices rather than calculated decisions. Looking back, Lust Stories proved to be one such moment. "When I did the anthology, Lust Stories (2018), I shocked myself. At that point, I didn’t look at it through the lens of women empowerment, or taking a step towards breaking certain stereotypes. For me it was like…I want to work with Karan Johar and I’m getting this fantastic platform, so why not? But today when I look back, I realize it was a bold choice as that film spoke of so many more things and there was a larger story there. That one short film gave me the kind of validation that you are really looking for in your early days," Kiara shares.

On constantly evolving as an actor she says, "Today when I look back at some of my work, I feel like the actor in me has evolved. I see the difference. I hope and I’m assuming the audience also sees that. Of course, I would hate to think that I’ve arrived. I would hate to think that I know it all. I still feel like I’m learning."

The actress explains, "I’d like to believe that my EQ is quite high, so I guess when filmmakers meet me that influences the kind of parts they visualize me in. Any genre of film could be popular, but romantic films will never go out of fashion. We will always need that in our life. When I watch a film, I want to see the female lead. I love seeing the macho guys on screen, but I don’t want to see just them. I love female energy in a film, because they come with a certain EQ which only they can bring. They bring a certain depth and gravitas which even the men enjoy, right?"

The actress admits that reaching the top is only one part of the journey — staying relevant and meeting expectations is a different challenge altogether. Kiara says, "I think reaching your goal is not the hardest part. When you’ve reached, what do you do with it — is what is harder. How do you sustain it? You’re also then at a position where people are looking up to you, and asking…what next? I see it with my fans, they’re like, ‘Okay, we supported you till here, now what are you giving us? We want to see something new, we want to see something different’."

For Kiara, her Met Gala appearance became more than a red carpet milestone — it turned into a deeply personal memory connected to motherhood. She says, "I wanted my pregnancy story to be a part of this moment (Met Gala) and we did it. Saraayah was such a good baby throughout. I was at that stage of my pregnancy where I was feeling kicks inside me like a football and that night, she just made it so easy for me. She was so calm. It was a very personal moment for me. I can’t wait to share it with her when she grows up and tell her that we were right there and doing all of this together."

Kiara says her upcoming film challenged the way she views conventional ideas of love, freedom and relationships. She says, "I think Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups will completely change the way you see the man-woman dynamic. In fact, when Geetu Mohandas (director) narrated the script to me, it took a while for me to understand that, okay, aisa bhi ho sakta hai. It may be grey, but not in your conventional way, and there’s a certain liberation in that love that is portrayed. When I heard Nadia’s part, I thought…I wish I was so liberated in my own thoughts."

Kiara Advani shares how she embraced independence in the new phase of her life with actor, husband Sidharth Malhotra.

She says, "Sidharth has always been independent as he lived alone for so long. So, when we got married, he taught me so many little things about living independently and running my own home. Moving out of my parents’ home and starting my family was an interesting transition for me. Now as a mom, it’s a whole new ballgame. I feel time is so precious right now."

Watch the full episode of the Bombay Times Lounge with Kiara Advani, coming soon on the Bombay Times YouTube channel

Title Sponsor: Rustomjee: Shot at Parishram by Rustomjee, Pali Hill, Bandra, Mumbai