Motherhood is often celebrated as a beautiful journey, but it also comes with unexpected pressures and challenges—something Renuka Shahane recently opened up about on Gauahar Khan’s new podcast MaaNoranjan. Recalling her early days as a mother, Renuka revealed the surprising and raw realities behind the glamorous facade of celebrity parenthood.In the conversation, Renuka recalled being told to lose weight just a day after giving birth to her first child. She revealed that her strong desire for motherhood was a key reason behind her decision to marry. Married at 35 to Ashutosh Rana, whom she praised for his deep family values, Renuka was eager to start a family and had always hoped to have at least two children.The Hum Aapke Hain Koun actor was taken aback when a friend of her husband Ashutosh Rana, who was also a doctor, told her to lose weight just a day after she gave birth to her first child. She recalled, “My first child was born in 2002. Despite all my hopes, it wasn’t easy. Many things go unspoken. When the doctor and his wife visited me in the hospital, his very first words were, ‘Now you must lose weight.’ It felt so strange.”Renuka shared how shocked she was by the immediate pressure to lose weight right after childbirth. She felt overwhelmed and confused, as it was her first time facing such expectations. Observing everything unfolding around her, she realized that society often demands mothers not only to excel in motherhood but also to quickly “bounce back” physically, as if nothing had changed.Renuka Shahane and Ashutosh Rana are known as one of Bollywood’s most down-to-earth and graceful couples. After dating for three years, they tied the knot in 2001. Together, they have two sons, Shauryaman and Satyendra, and continue to maintain a strong, grounded relationship away from the limelight.
