Kareena Kapoor Khan’s motherhood rule for her sons is about more than just being strong

Highlights

• Kareena Kapoor Khan has opened up about raising her two sons
• The actor says she wants boys and men to feel comfortable showing their emotions
• She also revealed how motherhood has changed her approach to acting

Kareena Kapoor Khan has shared a message she wants her two sons to carry with them as they grow up: they should never be afraid to show their emotions.

The actor, who has two sons, said she regularly encourages them to be kind and believes boys should not be made to feel that sensitivity is a weakness.

Her comments came while discussing her upcoming film Daayra, directed by Meghna Gulzar, which explores sensitive themes around women, guilt and responsibility.

Kareena wants her sons to embrace their emotions

Kareena said she wants her sons to understand that being sensitive is not something they should be ashamed of.

“The only thing I keep praying for is kindness,” she said. “Men should be more kind. Boys should be more kind.” The actor also challenged the idea that emotional vulnerability is something that only women should embrace.

She pointed out that more boys and men today are becoming comfortable with showing their feelings, including crying in front of their partners or their mothers.

“I advise my sons to cry if they want to,” she said.

For Kareena, the message is particularly important as she raises two boys while working on films that deal with difficult and emotionally charged subjects.

Why Daayra stayed with Kareena

Kareena plays Ajuni, a police officer in Daayra, and said the experience of making the film stayed with her both as an actor and as a mother.

She described Ajuni as sensitive but confident in her role as a police officer, rejecting the idea that women in such professions have to behave in a particular way.

“We’ve kept her slightly feminine because, as women, we have to own who we are,” she said.

The actor also recalled one of her favourite scenes, which deals with the way women can be portrayed as guilty.

She said the scene affected her so deeply that she did not need glycerine to produce an emotional reaction. The dialogue alone left her feeling naturally “disturbed and choked”.

Motherhood changed Kareena as an actor

Kareena also believes becoming a mother has affected the way she approaches her craft.

“Ever since I’ve become a mother, I’ve also become a better actor,” she said, adding that she did not know exactly why motherhood had changed her in that way.

For the actor, Daayra appears to have brought those two parts of her life together, allowing her to approach its themes not only as a performer but also as a mother thinking about the world her children are growing up in.