She never wanted to join films, even though she married into a family where almost everyone is associated with the film industry. Fashion designer Seema Khan found herself in the limelight when she starred in the recently released OTT show, Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives.

Wife of actor Sohail Khan, she emphasises that she’s a very “private person”, but her problem wasn’t that she wouldn’t open up in front of the camera. “I don’t know when to hold back. When I decided to do this show, I was sure that whatever I do, I’ll do a 100% and won’t make anything up. I’m not an actress and have never faced the camera. It was definitely a little daunting. The only thing was I wasn’t going to be insensitive to anyone,” she says.

And Seema certainly was herself on the show. No holds barred is how she talked about her personal life, and even termed hers and Sohail’s marriage as “unconventional”.

What also got talked about is how all the star kids — her sons Nirvaan and Yohan, Sanjay Kapoor’s kids Shanaya and Jahaan, Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana Khan and more, were featured on the show. People thought it was like an audition showreel. Seema has a clear take on this. “It’s a reality show about our lives. These children are our lives. The biggest part of any woman’s life is her family and children. To not have them would be going completely against reality!” she quips.

So tomorrow, will she be okay with her sons getting into acting and the nepotism debate that will follow them? “Talent has to speak. We have actors in the industry, who’ve hailed from big film families, who haven’t made it, including my own husband. Nepotism doesn’t mean you’re going to make it,” concludes Seema.

Along with an attack on our health, this year saw an assault of another kind, equally discussed. The attack on Bollywood royalty. Superstars were "shown their place", say critics, especially on social media, as the aam junta questioned their entitlement, the power of privilege that comes with being someone important's someone.

Ironically, a new digital show that's been at the centre of much chatter, discusses and celebrates this very privilege, as it puts four wives of Bollywood stars—Neelam Kothari (married to Samir Soni), Seema Khan (Sohail Khan), Maheep Kapoor (Sanjay Kapoor) and Bhavana Pandey (Chunky Pandey; is mother to Ananya Panday)—in the spotlight. The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives promises to offer entry into filmi families, which have been at the vortex of the nepotism debate recently. "People will finally know that our lives aren't glamorous 24/7. And, that we are not perfect!" says Khan, wife to Sohail Khan, brother to Bollywood's biggest superstar Salman Khan and daughter-in-law to veteran scriptwriter Salim Khan. Kothari argues that they may look perfect, but that doesn't mean, "they don't have their insecurities".

Whatever the protagonists may say, the audiences are going to watch for a glimpse of the perfection and glamour that defines, even if erroneously, Bollywood. What is going to come as a surprise though, is the candidness with which the show is presented. Khan confesses that she is obsessed with the Kardashians, while actor Samir Soni discusses Neelam's fear of facing audience judgment with a return to screen after years. And Pandey laughs about her love of "water bras". And they all have real jobs. Kothari and Kapoor are jewellery designers; Pandey runs a fashion brand called Love Gen; Khan is a fashion designer. But as Kapoor says, their kids come before career. Pandey adds, "We will be in super important meetings, but when your child calls, it means you have to put them before anything and everything."

The show, produced by Karan Johar, is full of real, and some hilarious moments. Some of it is over the top, yes, but all of it, entertaining.

When we get on a Zoom call with the four, they seem to be a bunch not too concerned about challenging any odd perceptions you may have. Pandey, who comes across as the most grounded, says, "Honestly, this show was not intended to challenge misconceptions. We are not trying to prove anything. We are behaving the way we would ordinarily—we are women who multitask, like every woman out there." Kapoor says they are an emotional bunch. They've known each other for 20-odd years, and that's what people will see. "That's close to 25 years of relationships and friendship. I am hoping women will connect with us."

Interestingly, the four weren't very keen to put themselves out there when the idea was presented to them. Kothari says different triggers set each of them off, and all of them lost their cool at some point while shooting. But it was the kids who got them to see its relevance in perspective. As Kapoor says, "It was very nerve-racking to put ourselves out there. But our kids made us see the light—life is short, who says no to Dharmatic [Johar's Dharma Productions] and Netflix! Tell your stories. And suddenly, we all said, 'why not, we must!'"

Kothari: That's the misconception in any field. You have to work hard to get where you are. You will never see success if you don't work hard.

Pandey: We are privileged, and we are blessed. But, there is everything else that comes with it. We experience the emotions you do—we are happy and sad. Ours is like any other family.

Kapoor: Very! Neelam was like 'hell, no!' Seema said yes, and Bhavna was thinking about it. Did we want people to judge us, and give so much access? No.

Pandey: I had been planning—okay, I will be controlled, and I will say this, and do that. But after a while, we went back to who we were. How long can you pretend?

Khan: I was fine till the shoot started. Then, when the cameras were in our house, we panicked a bit.

Kothari: I think what helped was that we had known each other for 25 years.

Kapoor: We are very possessive mothers. That will resonate for sure.

Pandey: We all multistask like everyone else, especially like everyone has during the pandemic!

Khan: Maheep is obviously Samantha, and Neelam is very much like Charlotte. I think Bhavana and I oscillate, and have a bit of both Miranda and Carrie in us.

Neelam Kothari, Bhavana Pandey, Maheep Kapoor and Seema Khan