New Delhi, 2 June

Gauhar Khan, known for her films such as ‘Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year’ and ‘Ishaqzaade’, has criticised actor Suniel Shetty for calling C-section an easier option compared to natural childbirth.

Shetty recently praised daughter Athiya for opting to have a natural delivery at a time when "everybody wants the comfort of having a caesarean baby", a comment that led to a lot of criticism on social media.

In the first episode of her podcast ‘MaaaNoranjan’, Gauhar spoke about Shetty's remarks and myths revolving around the caesarean child birth.

"I want to like scream at the top of my voice and say, ‘How could you say that? Like how?’ There are so many myths around this topic, that if someone is having a C-section, it’s the easier option. How can there be so much misinformation? And for a male celebrity to say that, who didn’t go through pregnancy, didn’t carry a child, doesn’t know how painful C-section is," she said while responding to Shetty's comments.

In the podcast, Gauhar also revealed that she had a miscarriage before the birth of son Zehaan in 2023.

"There’s one thing I never told everyone. I did have a miscarriage before Zehaan. What should I tell you about that feeling? It’s impossible to describe it. It was a pregnancy, I lost the baby after almost 9 weeks. That loss was extremely difficult," she said.

The actor, who is married to Zaid Darbar, son of noted music composer Ismail Darbar, announced earlier this year that she is expecting her second child.

In an interview last month, Shetty praised daughter Athiya's decision to opt for a natural delivery.

"In a world where everybody wants the comfort of having a caesarean baby, she chose not to do that and had a natural delivery. I remember how every nurse and paediatrician in the hospital said that it’s unbelievable how she went through the whole process," Shetty said.

The actor, who faced a lot of criticism for his remarks, later told PTI that his words were "misrepresented".

"If I am wrong, I have always been ready to say 'sorry' to the world, I have no ego... But, I know how I treat women... I am a responsible citizen of this country, I know what I say," he said.