MUMBAI: Actress Sonali Nikam who is known to play several noteworthy bold roles upholding the ideals of feminism will soon be seen playing the role of a barren woman in &TV’s supernatural episodic show, Laal Ishq. The story traverses through the life of Kanak (Sonali Nikam) and Sunil (Pankaj B. Singh) who are happily married but are unable to become parents. Their sadness of not having a child drives them to get a new born kidnapped to make it theirs. Laal Ishq delves into the distressed life of the childless parents highlighting the psychological troubles such parents, especially mothers face.

Women are constantly told that motherhood should “complete” them. Those women who do not agree with this idea are seen as heartless and cold. While it is true that women can nurture, should the occasion arise, it is not what defines her. Women who can't or don't want to nurture are not less worthy because of it. Motherhood is put on a pedestal and those who don't measure up and "mother" are seen as lesser women. Talking about her role in Laal Ishq and the troubles faced by women who are under constant societal pressure regarding child birth, actress Sonali Nikam said “In this story of Laal Ishq my character Kanak is so bogged down by society’s pressure to have a child that she and her husband decide to go the illegal route to get a child. The hurt of not being able to become parents is heart breaking enough, the society shouldn’t make it worse for such mothers especially.”

She further added “You can’t define a woman by her ability of becoming a mother. Let women define themselves. Give them the breathing room to be more than just their womb. Allow them to chase their dreams and passions without having to worry about checking a to-do list of ideal womanhood or worrying about their biological clock ticking. Tell yourself and others that a woman is, above all, a human being. Then watch the world become a better place.”

Well said Sonali!