Entrepreneur and philanthropist Upasana Kamineni Konidela, wife of star actor Ram Charan, is in the midst of a firestorm of a social-media debate after remarks she made during a session at IIT Hyderabad attracted country-wide criticism. During the session, Upasana advised young women to freeze their eggs, saying that this should be considered a woman’s “biggest achievement” because it allows her to take charge of her life choices. The comment went viral almost immediately, with several users calling out what they claimed was privilege-driven advice and an oversimplification of issues faced by women.
Facing severe online trolling, Upasana has now given a fitting yet lengthy response on Instagram, countering what she termed uninformed criticism. She questioned the basis of backlash and asserted that choices pertaining to the timelines of marriage, career, and motherhood rest with a woman.
“Is it wrong for a woman to marry for love instead of giving in to societal pressure?” she wrote. “Is it wrong if she waits until the right partner comes along? Is it wrong for a woman to choose to have children at the most appropriate time due to her situation? Is it wrong for a woman to set her goals and put her mind on her career instead of always having marriage or having children early as her priority?”
Upasana said her opinion comes from a place of personal experience in balancing career aspirations with married life. She concluded her note by making it very clear that autonomy, not privilege, is at the core of her message: “Through my journey, I have given equal importance to building my career and nurturing my marriage… For me, marriage and career are not competing priorities—they are equally meaningful parts of a fulfilled life. But I decide the timeline! That’s not privilege, it’s my right!!!”
During her IIT Hyderabad session, Upasana had said, “The biggest insurance for women is to save your eggs. Because then you can choose when to get married, when you want to have kids on your own terms, when you are financially independent. Today, I stand on my own two feet, I earn a living for myself.” The critics argued that egg-freezing was an expensive option not accessible to all women, while others felt her broader message of empowerment was overshadowed by one poorly framed statement.
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Following several years of openly talking about their decision to wait for parenthood, Upasana and Ram Charan got married in 2012 and then welcomed their daughter Klin Kaara in 2023. Now, in October, the couple has created another wave of excitement among fans as they announced that this time it’s going to be twins. As the conversation continued further online, Upasana’s response reopened dialogue on choice, autonomy, and pressure faced by women, reminding many that timelines for life decisions should remain personal and not be prescriptive in nature.
