Smriti Irani recently spoke about the bittersweet realities of motherhood at an event in Mumbai. Smriti, a mother of three, reflected on balancing the responsibilities of raising children while managing a high-profile career, first as one of television’s biggest stars and later as a politician.
‘Was just cleaning nappies, now he is talking back’
Speaking at the Mom Power Conference 2026 in Mumbai, Smriti admitted that, like many working mothers, the years spent juggling motherhood and professional responsibilities now feel like a blur.
She said, “Do we have working mothers here? Do you have any memory of what ever that has happened? No. There is an honest to God answer – none of the women here will remember anything but the fact that they needed to get the job done. That they needed to feed their kid, make sure that the homework was done, that they needed to make sure that their PPT was equally ready. That they did not sleep many nights. That they had teenagers who are mouthing off – ‘Who told you? I never asked for it, now that you have given birth to me, you have to deal with it.’ How many people wonder that I was just cleaning nappies and now this person is talking back to me.”
‘Mom’s job is well done when kid doesn’t need you’
Calling motherhood a selfless journey in which mothers sacrifice everything to raise independent children, only to eventually find themselves needed less, Smriti reflected on the emotional cost of parenting.
She said, “So when you ask all of them about their memory of it – they would have absolutely nothing. There will come a time when they are 50-55 years old and their kids would have gone off to live their lives and that is when you start reflecting. When the joints pain and you can’t expain to anybody else, when you at that kid, who now doesn’t have time to call you back. So that’s what feel like to be a mom. It is a job which is well done only when the kid doesn’t need you anymore and that is the most heart breaking thing. You spent half your life so that you will be forgotten in the other half. Can you compute an economic value to that?”
About Smriti Irani
Smriti Irani, BJP senior leader and actor, married to Parsi businessman Zubin Irani in 2001. The couple have two children together, a son, Zohr, and a daughter, Zoish. Smriti is also the stepmother to Shanelle Irani, Zubin’s daughter from his previous marriage.
