'I'll make my own rules' - Kareena on pregnancy

Kareena Kapoor Khan looks radiant, as she sits down for a chat with HT Caf. "I will follow my own rules of parenting," says the actor who is expecting her first child in December. She adds that she has never succumbed to herd mentality, and has lived her life on her own terms. Here, Kareena shares her excitement about becoming a mother, her experience of walking the ramp with a baby bump, and more.

You are going to become a mother soon. What is going on in your mind at the moment?

The feeling can't be put into words. It is an intimate and personal thing for me. Only once it happens, will the reality sink in.

Are you nervous about becoming a mother?

I am very excited. I am not nervous at all (smiles). This is something that every woman looks forward to in her life. It will be a life-altering experience for my family and friends.

You are the first mainstream Bollywood actor to have walked the ramp with a baby bump...

There have been people who have walked the ramp with a baby bump. But as I am a mainstream actor, people have reacted differently. I don't see why though, because I have never shied away from being open about things. I never shied away from the fact that I was in a live-in relationship with Saif Ali Khan (husband-actor). There were a lot of discussions regarding that because I come from a well-known family, and I talked about it [openly]. A lot of people told me not to get married because they thought my career would be over. But, [despite being married], I think I have been able to do wonderful work. I have got the opportunity to strike a balance between commercial and non-commercial cinema. Wanting to become a mother was a natural course for me. I don't know why there's such a hue and cry about my pregnancy in the industry. It is the most natural phenomenon for all women.

Saif is already a father, and so is your sister Karisma Kapoor. Which of their parenting traits would you like to imbibe?

Not many people understand that being a mother is a personal experience. You can't compare two parents. Five hundred people are giving me 500 pieces of advice. I am listening to them from one ear, and taking out their advice from the other (laughs). I will form my own rules, because no two kids are similar.

Your child will be born into stardom. Aren't you worried about the fact that he or she may not be able to lead a normal life, like most other children?

Actually no, because Saif and I are very normal. In fact, I think we are possibly the most normal film stars who exist. Everyone who knows us will say the same. We have friends who are not from the film fraternity. We don't go to [film] trials and parties. We are not very PR-driven. We have a private life and we are honest to the media. That's just the way we are going to live our lives. We don't have bodyguards, and we don't believe in having them either. I hope that our family will continue being in this atmosphere. I'm not going to hire 10 bodyguards just because my child will belong to a star family.

Alia Bhatt recently stated that actresses don't talk about their relationships openly as they are s**t-shamed. But you've always been frank about your personal life. Do you think you can bring about a change by being bold?

No, I'm not the voice of change. And I haven't done these things for women empowerment or because I'm a feminist. You always do things that suit your personality. Also, I think it's important to be honest. As an actor, there's a certain amount of responsibility that you need to show because your fans look up to you. The least you can do is be honest towards your work, your family and your fans. Very few actors do that because everyone wants to hide behind a particular image. I think Saif and I have been vocal about what we want. People have had 100 opinions about it (our decisions) and that's fine. I don't go out of my way to clarify things that are being discussed about me.