Kareena Kapoor Khan, Anushka Sharma, Natasa Stankovic: Of Baby Bumps, Pregnancy Shaming, Lockdown Births And Obsession With Celeb Pregnancy
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Vidya Balan, Mira Rajput, Anushka Sharma – where I discuss Stork Town tales, pregnancy shaming, internet’s obsession with the bump AND lockdown babies – yes, there’s lots of tiny parcels COMING SOON at an Instagram Page near you!
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Vidya Balan, Mira Rajput, Anushka Sharma – where I discuss Stork Town tales, pregnancy shaming, internet’s obsession with the bump AND lockdown babies – yes, there’s lots of tiny parcels COMING SOON at an Instagram Page near you!
It’s raining men, not; because hello, it’s raining babies! 2020, the meanest and hardest of them all, will also go down in history as the year when celebs hung their boots, albeit for a little while and got down to making memories, read babies. Babies that will clear out the fog and slash out the negativity with their precious pictures and first-looks (that quintessential first shot of a little sweet foot of a celeb baby tugging at your virtual heartstring on IG, sigh).
But what is it about pregnancy and baby announcement that generates such unprecedented interest, that sometimes borderlines on hysteria? Is it our societal tuning? Our constant quest for ‘good news’? Is it the joy of seeing a mini so-and-so take flesh-form? Possibly all of these – and the fact that NOW more than ever before, if you’re excited about a piece of information, there’s a platform to express your frenzied state of being - with friends, family and complete strangers, on the deep deep pit, that is social media.
Oh, and talking of the pit – remember the times when social media announces a pregnancy, born out of an overactive imagination? That’s the PITS. Abominable statements like “Oh, she pulled out of a movie? She must be on the baby way,” “Why is she dressing up differently these days, could she be pregnant?”, “Is she not having wine? She’s toasting with a glass of water. OMG Baby News” and the worst of them all “Now here she just looks like she’s pregnant, look at all the weight she has put on!” Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Vidya Balan, Mira Rajput, Anushka Sharma – all these ladies have been there. Some have opted for a dignified silence, others found respect in clearing the air. But imagine the constant scrutiny over body form, shape and professional choices! Not a nice place to be in, right?
And not to make this about feminism but hey, all of this and more is directed only at the woman. When is the last time you heard, “He’s dropped out 'this' movie, do you think he’s making it a point to spend more time with his wife as they are expecting?” Food for thought.
Well, anyway, let’s switch gears to the happiest and most heart-warming announcements of 2020. Because God knows, we all deserve some funk in our lives, now more than ever. *Drumrolls*
Mumbai Indians’ cricketer Hardik Pandya and Serbian wife Natasa Stankovic started off the trend. They actually set the bar quite high, announcing marriage and baby in the same breath, leaving their fans dizzy with excitement. Next came the BIG one, this was the Whopper Of Stork Town. Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan who got extra baby credits for producing the most gorgeous little man, Taimur Ali Khan Pataudi, announced that they would be 4 soon. Kareena had often-times expressed a desire to make another baby and lockdown presented the perfect opportunity, it seems.
Almost to fire things up and prepare the social media universe for the mega-news she and Saif were about to unleash, Kareena dropped a bomb of a magazine cover. It was shot by Saif, inside the comfort of their family home, Bebo in Dear Saifu’s button-down shirt – the works. She caught the collective imagination of the nation! Coronavirus, India-China border clash, unemployment, falling GDP – news of consequence was relegated to a speck on the rearview mirror. She was the big picture! And then came the news – a no-frills pregnancy brief, not to cold, not too hot. “We are very pleased to announce that we are expecting an addition to our family!! Thank you to all our well-wishers for all their love and support. Saif And Kareena”
Next in line were Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli. The couple is active on social media and used the exact-same imagery and words to share their joy with the world. “And then, we were three! Arriving Jan 2021,” read the announcement with a picture of a beaming Anushka sporting a cute little baby bump with Virat standing by her side. Sugar sweet!
Oh and by the way, want to know the one thing all these pregnant ladies have in common? Believe it or not, it’s a little black polka-dot dress. They either wore it for the baby reveal OR during their early pregnancy. Now (in)famous on Twitter as the dress of ‘conception town’. Don’t miss the curious case of this B&W number HERE. (HYPERLINK)
Until the next big baby reveal, stay tucked in and safe!
Image source: Instagram/natasastankovic__/anushkasharma/kareenakapoorkhan
