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Actor Ram Charan’s wife and Apollo Hospitals’ Vice Chairperson of CSR, Upasana Kamineni Konidela, has found herself at the centre of a heated online debate after a recent session at IIT Hyderabad.

During her talk on women’s health and financial independence, she spoke about topics like marriage, career planning, and egg freezing, advice she framed as empowering but which many are now calling “tone deaf.”

Here’s all about it.

Credits: X/upasanakaminenikonidela

In a video from the IIT Hyderabad session that she later posted online, Upasana spoke about egg freezing as a way for women to take control of their timelines and careers.

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.”

Sharing the video, she wrote, “When I asked, ‘How many of you want to get married?' — more men raised their hands, than the women! The women seemed far more career-focused!!!! This is the new - Progressive India."

But her remarks didn’t sit well with many and sparked criticism for several reasons.

Credits: X/upasanakaminenikonidela

Several medical professionals also weighed in, offering a starkly different perspective on Upasana’s claims.

Dr Sunita Sayammagaru, a UK-based PCOD and sexual health specialist, shared her opinion on Upasana’s statement, writing, “Egg freezing is not an insurance for women. Even if the woman freezes her eggs, there is no guarantee that this would translate into a successful embryo transfer and successful pregnancy.”

Dr Rajesh Parikh, claiming to be an OBGYN for three decades, wrote, “It’s very easy to give advice on egg freezing when you have crores in the bank. IVF costs lakhs per cycle. Egg freezing costs lakhs upfront plus annual storage charges. Most young women listening to you can’t afford even one attempt.” He added, “I deliver these babies. I also see the couples crying through failed cycles - the injections, the disappointments, the mounting bills, the PTSD that lingers, mostly for ever. Biology doesn’t care about your career timeline.”

Hyderabad-based doctor Sunita Sayammagaru countered Upasana Konidela's assertion of egg freezing being an insurance for women. "Even if a woman freezes her eggs, there is no guarantee that this would translate into a successful embryo transfer and successful pregnancy," she said, adding, "As a woman grows old, there are many health factors which would prevent a successful embryo transfer and implantation."

Well, there’s quite a lot of buzz around her statements, as there should be. What are your thoughts on this?

Social and lead image Credits: YouTube/JioStudios, X/dhruv_rathee