Mother's Day 2026 | Transgender Actress Shubhi Sharma On Her Mother's Support: Maa Fasted For My Safety...

On Mother's Day, television actress Shubhi Sharma reflects on the quiet grief and fierce resilience of her mother Mrs. Seema Devi, who stood by her when the world didn't, how She grieved a son who was still holding her hand.

Sharma, known for roles in Anupamaa, Dhruv Tara, Prem Leela among others recalls the day she first draped her mother's dupatta at age 12.

"Maa didn't shout. She went into the puja room and didn't come out for hours. Later I understood - she wasn't praying against me. She was bargaining with God for my safety. 'Log kya kahenge?' wasn't about gossip. It was about survival," Sharma says.

The actress has often spoken about how transgender actors are sidelined in the industry, forced to "survive on charity" between roles. She says that battle started at home.

"At weddings, Maa would quickly hide my bangles before relatives saw. People thought she was ashamed of me. She wasn't. She was taking the first taunt so it wouldn't reach me."

For Shubhi, Mother's Day isn't about cards. "Maa's pain was a fast she kept for years, just prayer that her child would be employed, safe, seen. Her grief birthed my pride. That's the mother I'm celebrating today."

Sharma has also spoken about feeling connected to Lord Shiva's Ardhanarishvara form and about many trans people being disowned by families. "I was luckier than most," she says. "Maa chose love when fear would've been easier. She accepted me."

"The day Maa called me 'beti' for the first time, years of silence broke. She burned my old name with camphor, not to erase my past, but to light my future. Her acceptance wasn't instant - it was brave. She chose her daughter over the world's whispers."

Shubhi today has successfully become a household name after winning hearts for her acting in popular TV shows such as Saath Nibhaana Saathiya, Chand Jalne Laga, Saavi Ki Savaari, Nath, Maati Se Bandhi Dor, Kaisa Hai Yeh Rishta Anjaana.