After receiving criticism for advising IIT Hyderabad students to freeze their eggs so they don’t rush into marriage and can focus on their careers, actor Ram Charan’s wife, Upasana Konidela, Vice Chairperson of CSR at Apollo Hospitals, has released a statement in response. Posting a note on her X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, the businesswoman called it her right, not a privilege, to live life on her own terms. Here’s what she said. (Also Read: Ram Charan’s wife Upasana called ‘tone deaf’ for asking students to freeze eggs, marry on their own terms; doctors react)
Upasana Konidela hits back at criticism
Upasana wrote in her caption that she’s happy to have sparked a healthy debate, asking everyone to check out her statement so they know facts about her career and marriage. She wrote, “Is it wrong for a woman to marry for love instead of giving in to societal pressure? Is it wrong for her to wait until she finds the right partner? Is it wrong for a woman to choose when she wants to have children based on her own circumstances? Is it wrong for a woman to set her goals and focus on her career rather than only thinking of marriage or having children early?”
Not 23, was 27 when I got married, says Upasana
Correcting those who assumed she was 23 when she got married, Upasana stated that she was 27 when she married Ram, 29 when she froze her eggs and 36 when she had Klin Kaara and is now pregnant with twins at 39. “Fact check. I married for love and companionship at 27 – a choice I made on my own terms. At 29, I decided to freeze me eggs for personal and health reasons, something I’ve always spoken about openly to encourage other women to explore their options (for the record it wasn’t at Apollo). I welcomed my first child at 36 and am now expecting twins at 39,” she wrote.
She also added a personal note of how she always prioritising her career and family both, writing, “Through my journey, I have given equal importance to building my career and nurturing my marriage, because a happy, stable environment matters deeply when raising a family. 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!!!”
What did Upasana say?
At a session in IIT Hyderabad, Upasana 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.” Everyone from doctors to social media users chimed in to claim that Upasana was making statements from a place of ‘privilege’.
Upasana and Ram got engaged in 2011 and married in 2012. They had their first child, Klin Kaara, in 2023. Upasana is now pregnant with twins.
