Did Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan conceive via surrogacy?

Nayanthara and Shivan tied the knot at a private ceremony on June 9

Tamil cinema’s lady superstar Nayanthara and her husband Vignesh Shivan, who got married at a gala ceremony in June this year, have announced the birth of their twin baby boys named Uyir (life) and Ulagam (world).

Hours after the announcement by Shivan on his social media accounts with a picture of the newborns, there was intense speculation that the couple had conceived through surrogacy and a controversy broke out soon as many raised doubts about whether the couple followed relevant rules.

Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said the Directorate of Medical Services (DMS) will seek an explanation from Nayanthara and Shivan on the issue to know whether they followed the prescribed rules with regard to surrogacy. Nayanthara and Shivan, who dated each other for over five years, tied the knot at a private ceremony on June 9 in Mamallapuram with the Bay of Bengal forming the backdrop.

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On Sunday evening, Shivan posted a picture on his Twitter and Instagram accounts with a caption that read, “Nayan & Me have become Amma & Appa (father & mother). We are blessed with twin baby boys. All our prayers, our ancestors’ blessings combined with all the good manifestations made, have come together in the form of two blessed babies for us. Need all your blessings for our Uyir & Ulagam.”

The internet was abuzz with talk about Shivan’s post, with many raising questions about whether the couple followed the rules as commercial surrogacy has been banned in India since December 2021. However, some pointed out that Nayanthara or Shivan, as a couple or as an actress in her individual capacity, might have opted for surrogacy. Nayanthara and Shivan are yet to come out with a statement on whether they conceived through surrogacy.

Commercial surrogacy was banned in India after the parliament passed The Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 in December 2021 which came into effect on January 25, 2022. Only ‘altruistic surrogacy’ is now allowed, which means the carrying mother should not receive any monetary assistance except the medical expenses.

Subramanian, responding to a question from the media on Monday, said as per rules, a married woman aged between 21 and 35 years can donate her egg with the permission of her parents or husband. “We will ask the DMS to find out whether the couple followed the rules,” he said.