Sushmita Sen, Sunny Leone, Mandira Bedi: Bollywood actresses who redefined adoption and motherhood |

Behind Bollywood’s glamor, a different story is unfolding—one of love chosen, not inherited. Several actresses have embraced adoption, not just as kindness, but as a bold statement of courage and breaking norms. This is the journey of such women.

Sushmita Sen

In 2000, 24-year-old Sushmita Sen adopted her first daughter, Renee, breaking norms in Bollywood and society. She later adopted her second daughter, Alisah, in 2010. Sen made telling Renee about her adoption playful, and Renee chose not to look for her biological parents. Despite societal expectations, Sen has embraced motherhood on her own terms, giving her daughters love and security.

Talking to Twinkle Khanna in an old interview, Sushmita said, “It was just something that I knew I had to do and to do that my last precedent was a 29-year-old divorced woman who was allowed adoption…single but divorced. I am applying at 21, never been married, fertile – all of these are a problem. They would obviously fight it.”

She added, “At 24, finally, my matter came up at the High Court and I had told my dad, “Papa, you continue holding Renée all the time”, because the minute I applied for adoption, she came to me under foster care and 6 months after that the court hearing happens.”She opened up about how In this court hearing, if they deem someone unfit, they take the child away immediately, even after 6 months of the child being with them “So I had told my baba and the driver, “Baba, jaise hi bahar niklenge room se, gadi start kro, hum bhag jaenge bachhe ko leke because ye to mazak h.. They can’t say no. She’s almost calling me Ma.”Sushmita laughed, “I was childish, I still am.” She added, “At 24, when that happened and the judge looked at me, he said, “In my 38 years of practice, if I sign this order today, you and I are both going to be responsible if you don’t do this job well.”

Raveena Tandon

In 1995, 21-year-old Raveena Tandon adopted her cousin’s two daughters, Pooja and Chhaya, a choice that surprised many. She later married Anil Thadani and had two biological children, Rasha and Ranbirvardhan, but has always embraced her adopted daughters openly. Despite criticism and rumors, Tandon says she felt destined to be a mother and made it clear that anyone wanting to be with her must accept her daughters too.

Sunny Leone

Sunny Leone and her husband Daniel Weber adopted their daughter, Nisha Kaur Weber, in 2017 from Latur, Maharashtra; she was about 21 months old at the time. Afterwards, the couple expanded their family with twin sons via surrogacy. Leone has repeatedly spoken of the adoption as a natural and heartfelt choice, rather than a path taken out of necessity. For her, the adoption wasn’t about filling a gap but about opening her heart.Speaking about her daughter Nisha, Sunny recently said on Soha Ali Khan’s podcast, “In that time of losing those four girls, we applied for adoption. We tell Nisha that she chose us. You picked us as parents. Nisha was just 18 months old but the size of a one-year-old. The moment I saw her, I knew — that’s my baby! There was an instant connection, like she’s mine and nobody else’s.”

Mandira Bedi

Mandira Bedi adopted a four-year-old girl named Tara in July 2020, with husband Raj Kaushal. She already had a biological son, Vir, born in 2011. After Raj Kaushal’s death in 2021, Mandira continued her journey of motherhood as a single parent. In interviews she has described Tara’s adoption as a fulfilment of a long-standing wish in the family to have a daughter.In an old conversation with Humans of Bombay, Mandira said, “When my son Veer was about six, I put in the papers for adoption. It’s a long process, and I don’t know why it’s not easier. I mean, I understand the reasons, but when it’s clear that this is a good family, it should be simpler. It took a while—Veer turned nine, the pandemic hit, and I told Raj, ‘It still hasn’t happened. Why?’ We had gotten caught up and didn’t follow up much. So, I thought, it’s now or never, and we pushed forward.”Eventually, they managed to see pictures of Tara, who was from Tikamgarh, Jabalpur, via mail and instantly knew that they wanted her in their family. Raj flew her from Jabalpur to Mumbai in a private jet, since it was the peak of the coronavirus pandemic at the time.“For a girl who never sat in a car, came in a private jet. It was naseeb, kismat. We wouldn’t have used a private jet, but it was too dangerous to fly commercially because Covid was at its peak,” Mandira Bedi shared.She added that Veer was not ready to have a sister and was not impressed by her when he first met Tara. Veer’s apprehension led to Mandira doubting her decision to bring Tara to the family. She said, “I was very overwhelmed because a little human being was coming into our life and everything would change. Veer was crying, and I was crying. When we reached the airport, this little girl with a plastic hat came with Raj. She was so small. It took time for her to settle into the family, and for Veer to start liking her.”

Neelam Kothari

Neelam Kothari and Samir Soni adopted a daughter named Ahana in 2013, after marrying in 2011. Neelam has described how both of them wanted a daughter, and instead of going through other routes, they chose adoption. Samir in one interview reflected that their decision “works in every way,” not just as a route to parenthood but as a positive act — giving a child a life, adding someone new to the family. He has also spoken about the joy Ahana brings.

Sreeleela

Sreeleela is known to be very fond of babies and had adopted two differently-abled children, Guru and Shobhitha, from an orphanage in 2022. According to reports, the actress adopted them before the release of her film By Two Love. Now, Sreeleela has seemingly adopted another baby girl. The actress took to her social media handle and shared adorable pictures with the baby girl, whom she referred to as a new addition to her home.

Yogita Bali

Veteran actress and Mithun Chakraborty’s wife, Yogita Bali, adopted a girl named Dishani Chakraborty, who was abandoned near a dustbin. The couple decided to take responsibility for the baby girl. Mithun Chakraborty and Yogita Bali are also parents to three sons, Mahaakshay, Ushmey, and Namashi.

Legal and societal friction

For single women like Sushmita Sen, the law did not explicitly disallow adoption but in practice, agencies and courts pushed back. Sen has narrated that she was compared to divorced women (who are permitted to adopt) to argue precedents and convince judges. Raveena Tandon, as an unmarried woman, faced rumours and sexist speculation that adopting would ruin her marriage prospects.

Age and readiness vs societal prestige

Many of these actresses adopted not as a fallback but as a proactive choice. Raveena, at 21, felt the impulse deeply seeing children in her cousin’s family being underserved; Neelam and Samir expressed a longing to have a daughter rather than going through another option. These are stories where choice, not necessity, drives the decision.Media scrutiny and privacyHeadlines have alternated between celebration and crude speculation. Rumors that Raveena’s adopted daughters were her children born out of wedlock persisted when she was young; Neelam’s daughter found out about her divorce via Googling rather than a conversation at home.

Conclusion

Adoption is not about sacrifice—it’s about choice. For many women, choosing love over tradition means dealing with complex legal rules, facing public judgment, and challenging societal expectations. By doing this, they open up new possibilities—for single women, for blended families, and for children who deserve a loving home.