As the conversation around maternity and professional flexibility continues to gain ground in the entertainment industry, actor Gauahar Khan is the latest to add her voice to the dialogue. In a candid exchange with actor Debina Bonnerjee on her podcast, Gauahar opened up about navigating motherhood at the age of 39, sharing her experience of a miscarriage, the emotional aftermath, and what it means to work through physically demanding roles while pregnant.

Her comments come shortly after reports emerged of actor Deepika Padukone stepping away from filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit, allegedly due to unfulfilled requests for eight-hour shifts and time off — putting renewed spotlight on how working women, particularly in showbiz, balance personal commitments with public-facing careers.

Gauahar, who welcomed her son Zehaan in 2023, is now expecting her second child. She reflected on how the journey to motherhood wasn’t without setbacks. “I was 36 when I got married, and we knew we wanted to try for a child within a year,” she said, adding, “But I had a miscarriage before Zehaan, and it took me a year and a half to even gather the courage to try again. When I finally conceived him, everything went smoothly.”

Recounting the emotional toll, she said, “At that point, you assume everything will go as planned. No one expected me to lose the child. It was extremely difficult. By the time I gave birth to Zehaan, I was already 39. And if I wanted another child, it was now or never.”

Yet even through both pregnancies, Gauahar never took a prolonged break from work. In fact, she continued filming — often during her first trimester — and was seen performing high-octane action sequences. “I was shooting throughout my first pregnancy, and this time around, I’ve been doing action scenes again. While filming the finale of Fauji 2 in Pune, I was literally blasting bombs on screen,” she said, adding, “If I’m committed to a project, I can’t be unprofessional. Thankfully, the action directors have been extremely understanding and shoot the scenes accordingly.”

Gauahar Khan, a household name in the reality TV circuit, has taken a significant step forward in her career by making her fiction TV debut with Fauji 2. This spiritual sequel to actor Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic 1999 show has given her an opportunity to fulfil a long-held dream.

“For me to do acting on television, I needed it to be treated in a way that it doesn’t come across as I’m taking my acting lightly, like I’m doing it only to churn money. It needed to satisfy my brain as an actor. I’m just happy that if I had to debut on TV, this is how it should have been. I wanted a role that let me perform. Every scene I shoot is a performance of the character; it’s not just ‘say the line and move on,” she tells us.

Joining the show on the national broadcaster, Doordarshan, is particularly nostalgic for Gauahar. “Doordarshan is the definition of my childhood entertainment — Chitrahaar, Fauji, Mungeri Lal ke Sunehre Sapne and Malgudi Days. It’s almost like living my childhood dream,” she says.

Despite some seeing the channel as dated, Gauahar is optimistic about its progress. “I know their plans are huge. DD always does something substantial; they know their audience and what they desire. Their OTT platform is a big step into the digital market.”

When asked about the show’s connection to SRK, Gauahar admits the legacy comes with pressure. “When you think about the legacy, the pressure is too much. But when I first heard that my name was mentioned alongside Shah Rukh Khan’s, I felt proud. I haven’t worked with him yet, but I hope to. Just being mentioned in the same line as his name is a big thing for me,” she says.

After his stint in multiple reality shows with his wife, actor Ankita Lokhande, Vicky Jain is all set to venture into his partner’s profession. The businessman is making his TV acting debut with the show Fauji 2, and he is quite excited about it: “I’m fortunate enough to be acting. By now, I have gained a little experience in facing the camera. So, that was not difficult, but I must say that acting is a serious business. Usually, Ankita helps me out. This is the first time she’s not around, and I had that fear in my mind. But then she told me that it’s my time to just go out and have fun.”

Crediting his wife for her full support, Jain says, “Ankita has been my rock. She boosts my confidence saying, ‘Yes, you can do it and I’m going to be there’.”

Fauji 2 takes the legacy of actor Shah Rukh Khan’s acting debut project (Fauji, 1989) ahead, and Jain says that they have the superstar’s approval: “Sandeep (Singh, producer) informed him, and he was quite happy about it. We might visit him soon and take his blessings.”

Ask Jain why the show chose to air on Doordarshan and not on any General Entertainment Channels (GEC) or OTT platforms and he says, “The TRP of Doordarshan is much bigger than any other GEC because it is widely watched in remote areas, where cables and dishes are still non-existent. Secondly, Doordarshan is planning to reinvent themselves. They are planning to come with their OTT channel as well.”