Motherhood beyond the clock: How Deepika Padukone and her peers rewrite the rules in their 40s

Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone, who welcomed her first child at 38, recently announced her second pregnancy with actor husband Ranveer Singh through a social media post.

Now 40, Deepika shared the news with a glimpse of her daughter Dua, hinting at the arrival of a sibling.

Motherhood in the 40s

Deepika’s journey reflects a broader trend among her peers.

Actress Katrina Kaif embraced motherhood at 42, welcoming her first child with husband Vicky Kaushal.

Katrina Kaif embracing motherhood at 42 sparked online debate. Photo: Katrina Kaif/Instagram

Her pregnancy sparked widespread conversations online about the possibilities and challenges of having children after 40.

Similarly, Kareena Kapoor Khan welcomed her second child at 40.

Married to actor Saif Ali Khan, Kareena continues to balance motherhood with a prolific career.

Bollywood has also seen women choosing alternative paths to parenthood.

Actress Preity Zinta became a mother to twins via surrogacy at 46, while Priyanka Chopra Jonas welcomed her daughter through surrogacy at nearly 40.

Other prominent names include Shilpa Shetty and producer Ekta Kapoor, who also chose motherhood in their 40s. Filmmaker Farah Khan opted for IVF and is a mother of triplets.

Kareena Kapoor Khan during her second pregnancy. Photo: Kareena Kapoor Khan/Instagram

Motherhood is not a career pause

If anything, these choices are reshaping another long-held assumption—that motherhood signals a slowdown in professional life.

Deepika Padukone appears set to challenge that notion yet again.

With release timelines for her upcoming films Raaka and King already in place, she has reportedly continued shooting through her pregnancy, including action sequences.

Even during her first pregnancy, she remained professionally active, working on Singham Again.

The pattern extends across the industry.

Alia Bhatt in Heart of Stone. Photo: Screen-grab/YouTube

Alia Bhatt shot for her Hollywood debut Heart of Stone and parts of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani during pregnancy, returning swiftly to work post childbirth.

Kareena Kapoor Khan, too, worked through both pregnancies—filming Veere Di Wedding during her first and portions of Laal Singh Chaddha while expecting her second child.

Actor Neha Dhupia had earlier revealed she was eight months pregnant while shooting for A Thursday.

Kareena Kapoor Khan (R) and Aamir Khan (R) in Laal Singh Chaddha. Photo: Screen-grab/YouTube

What this shift signals

This evolving narrative goes beyond celebrity lifestyles.

It reflects changing attitudes towards women’s autonomy, reproductive choices, and career continuity—particularly in industries that once enforced rigid timelines.

In redefining motherhood, these women are not making loud statements. 

Instead, they are quietly normalising a reality: that there is no single “right time” to become a mother.

(Photos: Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif Instagram handles)