Akansha Ranjan Kapoor made headlines this Women’s Day when she took to social media to share her egg freezing journey, revealing that the fear of running out of time pushed her to make this decision. She didn’t hold back, opening up about the highs and lows of the process, from self-administered injections and bouts of bloating to mood swings, medication, and eventually the surgery itself. Through it all, she found herself in awe of what the female body can endure, calling it nothing short of ‘extraordinary’. The conversation has now spilled over into her professional life too, as Akansha admits that Bollywood’s ageist culture weighs heavily on her. “I always feel like I’m losing out on time,” she confesses, even as she gears up for the release of ‘Gram Chikitsalay 2’.
Akansha Ranjan Kapoor on Bollywood’s age pressure
Reflecting on how quickly time has passed since she first stepped into the industry, Akansha gets candid about the pressures that come with age in Bollywood. “At 18 when you’re starting out, you feel like you’ve a whole life ahead of you. Five or six years into it, you feel like zindagi khatam go gayi hai. You’re like, yeh kya ho raha hai! Younger people come in and you’ve these ADs calling you ‘ma’am’. A few years ago, I used to be the youngest person on set. These changes happen so fast. You’ve to understand that everyone will have a different journey. If you haven’t become a superstar at 18, it doesn’t mean that you won’t ever be successful. People have this perception that you need to start out at 18 because you’ll eventually get married at 28,” she said.
Akansha Ranjan Kapoor says she can bloom at 45
While the pressure initially got to her, Akansha says she had a realisation that changed the way she looked at things. “Yes, I didn’t start my career at 18. Naturally, I won’t have to end it at 28. I can start at 35 and bloom at the age of 45. That’s something I had to convince myself about and that involved a lot of wrestling. You’ve to have your feet on the ground,” says the actor. This shift in perspective also helped her get clarity on what truly matters to her. She now believes that ambition doesn’t always have to come at a personal cost, and that a fulfilling life outside of work is just as important as her career. “I told myself that I can’t stop my life. Zindagi toh jeeni hai. I want to live a whole life. I can’t be this person who says that main acting karungi aur phir mar jaaungi,” she shares.
Akansha Ranjan Kapoor says women should be allowed to have a life beyond acting
Akansha further adds, “Not wanting to get married or have kids is also not the right approach. I feel like you can have a grounded and well-rounded life with people around you and still keep trying to conquer the world. I think it’s high time women are allowed to have a life apart from being an actor. I shouldn’t have to justify that. I shouldn’t have to leave everything behind to become a trailblazer.”
