--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is hard directing and being a mother…" description: "\"It is hard directing and being a mother. The hours are terrible and you have to sort of suspend your life when you're in production. I can absolutely s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d61/gurinder-chadha-41287_being-a-mother_it-is-hard-directing-and-being-a-mother_203223.jpg" --- # It is hard directing and being a mother. The hours are… ![“It is hard directing and being a mother. The hours are terrible and you have to sort of suspend your life when you're in production. I can absolutely see why there are so few women directing, because it's physically a very demanding thing to do. Fathers can only do it because they have wives at…” quote by Gurinder Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d61/gurinder-chadha-41287_being-a-mother_it-is-hard-directing-and-being-a-mother_203223.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d61/gurinder-chadha-41287_being-a-mother_it-is-hard-directing-and-being-a-mother_203223.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d61/gurinder-chadha-41287_being-a-mother_it-is-hard-directing-and-being-a-mother_203223.jpg) > “It is hard directing and being a mother. The hours are terrible and you have to sort of suspend your life when you're in production. I can absolutely see why there are so few women directing, because it's physically a very demanding thing to do. Fathers can only do it because they have wives at home doing all the other stuff. I can only do it because I have a husband that helps with the kids at home.” [Gurinder Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurinder-chadha/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Directing is physically demanding, especially for mothers who must balance childcare, making it harder for women to enter the field. **In simple terms:** Motherhood adds physical and logistical challenges to directing. Key Takeaway Support structures are essential for gender equity in directing. Themes gender worklife balance film industry Mood determined hopeful Type industry social When to use this quote - film production - parental leave policies - studio scheduling - career counseling Key Concepts physical demand support systems gender disparity Questions to Reflect On - What policies could ease directing demands for parents? - How can the industry encourage more women directors? A Different Perspective Even with support, systemic biases and lack of role models persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being a mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-a-mother/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Husband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/husband/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wife/) ## Related quotes > [It is hard directing. The hours are terrible and you have to sort of suspend your life when you're in production. So, being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurinder-chadha/it-is-hard-directing-the-hours-are-terrible-and-you-have-to-sort-of/) [Gurinder Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurinder-chadha/) > [Directing is physically exciting because there's a ticking clock, you're working with people, it's very social, it's very enjoyable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/directing-is-physically-exciting-because-there-s-a-ticking-clock-you/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > [It's hard to get material. I haven't made a movie before. I have two episodes of television that I think have come in really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiri-appleby/it-s-hard-to-get-material-i-haven-t-made-a-movie-before-i-have-two/) [Shiri Appleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiri-appleby/) > [There should be more women directing; I think there's just not the awareness that it's really possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-bigelow/there-should-be-more-women-directing-i-think-there-s-just-not-the/) [Kathryn Bigelow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-bigelow/) > [I think if more women had been directing when I was a child, I probably would have gone for directing first. But, as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sondra-locke/i-think-if-more-women-had-been-directing-when-i-was-a-child-i/) [Sondra Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sondra-locke/) > [We have a lot of women on the staff, obviously. It's a predominantly female writing staff and we hire the best people. It's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callie-khouri/we-have-a-lot-of-women-on-the-staff-obviously-it-s-a-predominantly/) [Callie Khouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callie-khouri/) > [If there's specific resistance to women making movies, I just choose to ignore that as an obstacle for two reasons: I can't change my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-bigelow/if-there-s-specific-resistance-to-women-making-movies-i-just-choose/) [Kathryn Bigelow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-bigelow/) > [I feel that the thing about film and particularly about TV, actually, is it's being created now. We're living in the best time so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-nixon/i-feel-that-the-thing-about-film-and-particularly-about-tv-actually/) [Cynthia Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-nixon/) > [“Breastfeeding is a beautiful thing, one of the most beautiful things that exist in nature. Think about how a woman can literally feed her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/breastfeeding-is-a-beautiful-thing-one-of-the-most-beautiful-things/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [I’ve come to realize that being a mother makes me a better executive, because motherhood forces prioritization. Being a mom gives you so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-mayer/i-ve-come-to-realize-that-being-a-mother-makes-me-a-better-executive/) [Marissa Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-mayer/) > [I dig being a mother...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whoopi-goldberg/i-dig-being-a-mother/) [Whoopi Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whoopi-goldberg/) > [I can count all the ways in which being a mother has enriched my understanding of the world, of character, my sense of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-can-count-all-the-ways-in-which-being-a-mother-has-enriched-my/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [We help God's children best by providing ways to build faith in Jesus Christ and in His restored gospel when they are young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/we-help-god-s-children-best-by-providing-ways-to-build-faith-in-jesus/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Women are scolded both for being mothers and for not being mothers, for wanting to eat their cake and have it too, and for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/women-are-scolded-both-for-being-mothers-and-for-not-being-mothers/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [More than any other personality trait, my mother seemed to be ruled by anger and sadness. She seemed to hate being a mother. Watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merrill-markoe/more-than-any-other-personality-trait-my-mother-seemed-to-be-ruled-by/) [Merrill Markoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merrill-markoe/) ## More by Gurinder Chadha > [There was a time when I first started that there was such a thing called 'a woman's film' and there were certain scripts that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurinder-chadha/there-was-a-time-when-i-first-started-that-there-was-such-a-thing/) [Gurinder Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurinder-chadha/) > [If a good actor wants a role, they'll do whatever it takes to get the part. Directors are the same. We do 'meetings', not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurinder-chadha/if-a-good-actor-wants-a-role-they-ll-do-whatever-it-takes-to-get-the/) [Gurinder Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurinder-chadha/) > [The reason I do what I do is that I find that Asian community gives me an endless source of humour. When I entered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurinder-chadha/the-reason-i-do-what-i-do-is-that-i-find-that-asian-community-gives/) [Gurinder Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurinder-chadha/) > [When you have a baby you start thinking of death cuz' you see the opposite of life. I've calmed down now but for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurinder-chadha/when-you-have-a-baby-you-start-thinking-of-death-cuz-you-see-the/) [Gurinder Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurinder-chadha/) > [It is hard directing. The hours are terrible and you have to sort of suspend your life when you're in production. So, being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurinder-chadha/it-is-hard-directing-the-hours-are-terrible-and-you-have-to-sort-of/) [Gurinder Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurinder-chadha/) > [After 'Bhaji On The Beach', I didn't make a movie for six years. I couldn't get a movie off the ground for love nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurinder-chadha/after-bhaji-on-the-beach-i-didn-t-make-a-movie-for-six-years-i-couldn/) [Gurinder Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurinder-chadha/) > [I'm a good Indian girl, I still don't do sex scenes in my movies because my mum would kill me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurinder-chadha/i-m-a-good-indian-girl-i-still-don-t-do-sex-scenes-in-my-movies/) [Gurinder Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurinder-chadha/) > [There's so many people telling you what you should look like, what you shouldn't look like, what clothes you should be wearing, whether you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurinder-chadha/there-s-so-many-people-telling-you-what-you-should-look-like-what-you/) [Gurinder Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurinder-chadha/) > [It doesn't matter how complex your plot or your characters are; you have to be able to express the big idea of a film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurinder-chadha/it-doesn-t-matter-how-complex-your-plot-or-your-characters-are-you/) [Gurinder Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurinder-chadha/) [Explore all 10 Gurinder Chadha quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurinder-chadha/) ## More Being a mother quotes > [More than any other personality trait, my mother seemed to be ruled by anger and sadness. She seemed to hate being a mother. Watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merrill-markoe/more-than-any-other-personality-trait-my-mother-seemed-to-be-ruled-by/) [Merrill Markoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merrill-markoe/) > [Women are scolded both for being mothers and for not being mothers, for wanting to eat their cake and have it too, and for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/women-are-scolded-both-for-being-mothers-and-for-not-being-mothers/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [We help God's children best by providing ways to build faith in Jesus Christ and in His restored gospel when they are young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/we-help-god-s-children-best-by-providing-ways-to-build-faith-in-jesus/) [Henry B. 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Please know that it is worth it then, now, and forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-work-of-a-mother-is-hard-too-often-unheralded-work-please-know/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [The sort of the template of being a mother is that you're endlessly giving to the point of exhaustion. You know, that's amazing if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/the-sort-of-the-template-of-being-a-mother-is-that-you-re-endlessly/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [Feeling the security and constancy of love from a spouse, a parent or a child is a rich blessing. Such love nurtures and sustains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-bednar/feeling-the-security-and-constancy-of-love-from-a-spouse-a-parent-or/) [David A. Bednar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-bednar/) > [Who can justly measure the righteous influence of a mother's love? 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They carry the brunt of the work at home and of being mothers and of taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-maloney/usually-women-are-the-lynchpins-of-the-family-they-carry-the-brunt-of/) [Carolyn Maloney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-maloney/) [Browse all 178 Being a mother quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-a-mother/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is hard directing and being a mother. The hours are terrible and you have to sort of suspend your life when you're in production. I can absolutely see why there are so few women directing, because it's physically a very demanding thing to do. Fathers can only do it because they have wives at home doing all the other stuff. 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