'Don't have children; have dogs,' says Shefali Shah as she shares advice on marriage and children for young women

Bollywood actor Shefali Shah has sparked a conversation online by sharing her advice on marriage, relationships, and parenthood. The actress suggested young women not rush life's biggest decisions and joked that getting dogs beats having children any day. Let's take a look at what she has to say in detail.

Shefali Shah says young people should not marry in a hurry

In a chat with comedian and content creator Lilly Singh, Shefali Shah urged young girls to hold off on marriage until they truly know themselves. The actress stated, "Don't do it when you are a child, for God's sake. You don't even know if you like your elbow or your a*. So calm down. You've got to meet people and get to know them before you make that ultimate choice."

The 'Dil Dhadakne Do' actress added a pointed caution for those unsure about commitment. She added, "If you don't believe in the institution of marriage, trust me, it's a lot of work; please don't do it. It's not fair to step back. Be old enough to figure that out."

Shefali Shah jokes about having dogs instead of kids

The moment that set the internet buzzing came when Lilly revealed she is 37 and still unmarried. Shefali Shah gave an unfiltered response to her statement. She said, "Can I say something? I am going to get so badly trolled. Don't have children; have dogs. Just get dogs." She backed it up by calling dogs the only true source of "unconditional love" in a person's life.

More about Shefali Shah

On the personal front, Shefali Shah was previously married to TV actor Harsh Chhaya before the couple separated. She later married filmmaker Vipul Amrutlal Shah in 2000, and together they have two sons, Aryaman and Maurya.

A known animal lover, she shares her home with two Siberian Huskies, Ash and Simba, frequently documenting their bond on Instagram.

On the work front, the actress was most recently seen in 'Delhi Crime' Season 3, streaming on Netflix, where she reprises her role as DIG Vartika Chaturvedi investigating a case of missing girls in Delhi.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”