Many people idolise celebrities as their sources of inspiration. But whom do celebrities look up to? From Malaika Arora to Tillotama Shome, we asked several accomplished women to name the woman they admire the most— and they all had one common answer that many of us also probably share: their mothers.
In exclusive conversations with Hook, celebrities told us whom they think of as the most powerful and resilient woman.
Seema Sajdeh, Malaika Arora, and Kusha Kapila on their mothers
Designer Seema Kiran Sajdeh, who uses her mother’s name as her middle name, said, “I find my mom the most inspiring. And she’s an inspiration to me, has been through my life.”
Writer, actor, and content creator Kusha Kapila also said, “Who I find really inspiring? I think, my own mother. I find her very, very inspiring.”
Malaika Arora, who shares tight bond with her family, also had a similar response: “I would say my mother. I definitely would say her. For me she is-- my mom, my sister-- I think all very inspiring women.”
Neha Dhupia on her mom being her source of strength
Actor Neha Dhupia opened up on why her mother is her source of inspiration, talking about how she helped Neha become more determined: “For me, it’s my mum. I wouldn’t be the person I am. I’m so happy with, you know, the kind of mind, the ability, the confidence, the will, the determination, the grit, the hustle—everything that she’s given me,” adding that she’d like to follow in her mother’s footsteps with regard to raising her own daughter, “And the truth of it is that, if I can raise or do half of what my mother’s done for me for and with my daughter, I’d be a winner.”
Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia shares her mother’s advice to her
Actor Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia credited her mother’s progressive thinking for her success: “I think everything that I am today is because of her. I think she always was way ahead of her time. She always challenged the norm and I think that’s something that I also resonate with.”
Nimrit also revealed how her mother encouraged her to be herself: “So when I was younger, I think like most kids and like most teenagers, you have your own set of complexes while you’re growing up. But the one thing she always told me was to always be true to who I am, and not try to fit in just because society expects us to. And I think that has really impacted the course of even the choices that I make today, with respect to my career, or even my personal relations for that matter.”
Tillotama Shome on what she learnt from her mother
Actor Tillotama Shome said the reason she admires her mother is due to her tenacity, and her ability to make people feel at ease. She told Hook, “What makes her really inspiring for me is that she doesn’t take no for an answer, and she’s very, very non-judgmental. And so, because she’s so non-judgmental, she doesn’t need to try very hard to make people feel comfortable. And that’s her power. I really admire that, and I really hope to inculcate that in my life.”
“When she was battling cancer and I would be consumed with worry and fear... there was a PET scan coming up, and I told Ma, ‘Oh you know, you’ve lost weight. So I’m a little afraid.’ In six years, she has never said anything to me. She kept being strong for all of us. She kept absorbing our fear, so that we could all feel okay. This was the first time she said to me that, ‘I’m a very strong person, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t feel things. So, stop putting your fear into me.’ I had to take a step back. We have this idea, we celebrate women as so strong that it’s limitless. It’s not limitless. And we don’t need to become people with infinite strength. All of us have breaking points. I think it’s unfair when you celebrate women, to also put them on such a pedestal, that they can’t fall. And I was so glad my mother said what she said. And I was like, ‘You’re right. You know what. And I’m sorry.’”
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that mothers are human too, and they deserve the space to be themselves without them having to be pillars of strength, duty, or compassion constantly. That’s probably one of the most important gifts one can give their mother.
