Mini Mathur wants men to stop asking women about having kids: ‘Apni advice apne paas rakhiye’

Mini Mathur said not only men but women also must stop commenting on physical features of the opposite gender.

Mini Mathur emerged as the winner of the reality show Alliance, which aired on Amazon Prime Video. An Indian television host and actor and wife to director Kabir Khan, Mini has been working in the industry for decades. In an episode on The Male Feminist podcast for Hauterrfly, Mini opened up about her experience with menopause, and also shared the stigma around how women perceive their bodies based on fertility. Mini also advised men to stop commenting on women's bodies once and for all. (Also read: Mini Mathur reveals she lost Indian Idol season 5 hosting gig after she revealed her pregnancy: ‘I felt very let down’)

Mini Mathur talks about men commenting on the bodies of women.

What Mini said

During the chat, Mini was asked what should men stop telling to women. In response, Mini said, “Commenting on physicality. Are you feeling tired? Did you not get sleep? Did you put on weight? Oh you lost weight? What happened? From both sides, men and women… it is bad to comment like that. When did I give you permission to shorten this distance between you and me? That you are seeing my body and commenting about it?”

She went on to add, “Maintain some physical proximity. Asking women, what about kids? Have one more kid. It is great fun… Apni advice apne paas rakhiye (Keep your advice to yourself). When asked, only then respond. And stop calling people housewife, homemaker! That irritates me. I am a homemaker, and I work but I am a homemaker with great pride. So don't look at me and dare ask why am I not working? I am working on many things you don't even know!”

About Mini Mathur's career

Mini Mathur began her television career with Tol Mol Ke Bol with R Madhavan, before becoming an MTV VJ for many years. She became a household name with her stint in the singing reality show Indian Idol. She has since worked across television, streaming and films, including the series Mind the Malhotras. She also became a certified women's health coach specializing in menopause after completing a rigorous certification course.

She also announced her own Instagram community Pauseitive, to guide women in their 40s and beyond for a smooth transition. The idea for the health advocacy platform began with her own experiences.

"My own health journey started when I started feeling symptoms that didn't feel like the old me. I started getting hot flashes, I was sweating at night, I couldn't sleep very well, my joints ached, I had brain fog, I had a little bit of memory loss which you can understand for a television presenter can be very debilitating. Every doctor I went to treated my symptoms and not the root cause. I knew there was a deeper answer lying beneath and that's when I started asking questions," Mini says in a video posted to her Instagram page.