Shaili Chopra's New Book Will Drop The Truth Bombs On Midlife And Menopause

Shaili Chopra, award-winning journalist and founder of SheThePeople and Gytree, has announced her fifth book, 'Hot, Bothered, and Unapologetic', an exploration of midlife and menopause in India. Launching in 2026 by Bloomsbury India, the book will capture the unfiltered and relatable realities of Indian women and their unique journeys. "India deserves a book on (peri)menopause because millions of women are quietly living through a storm they can’t name," Chopra expressed. "We joke, we mask, we scroll, we carry on while our bodies shift and our minds scream for answers." 

Hot, Bothered, and Unapologetic will amplify these unanswered questions and long-silenced conversations. Through medical perspectives, personal stories, and cultural insights, the book will open a dialogue on a topic that has continually been treated like a taboo. "This is not a manual. It’s a mirror. For women to see themselves and feel less alone," Chopra emphasised.

Menopause beyond the clinical lens

India is going to see more than 400 million women in menopause by 2026, according to the National Family Health Survey. It is an unavoidable and organic chapter of life that is still seen as a disease to 'cure' or a phase to be ashamed of. Menopause is a full-blown transformation that deserves honesty, humour and a little rebellion.

Hot, Bothered and Unapologetic aims to take midlife conversations beyond closed curtains, into homes, workplaces, sporting arenas, coffee dates, kitty parties, and everywhere else. It’s for every woman who has ever been dismissed as hormonal, who’s battling brain fog, mood swings, and a society that pretends this stage doesn’t exist. It’s also for those women who are scared to accept themselves in their skin.

"This isn’t just about hormones; it’s about the silence around them. Women fear being judged, dismissed, or simply labelled 'too emotional', 'too hormonal', so they say nothing. But it’s time to talk, laugh, cry, rage and reclaim this phase with honesty," says Shaili Chopra.

The book will not just highlight personal experiences, it will address how society, healthcare, workplaces and even families react to menopause. It will raise questions and build a conversation that midlife and menopause are for all of us who refuse to fade away quietly because if we’re going to go through this, we’re doing it on our terms, with laughter, rage, and maybe a killer shade of lipstick. 

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R Sivapriya, Publisher, Literary and Translations, at Bloomsbury India, said, “Hot, Bothered and Unapologetic is an exhilarating book—political, painful and extremely funny... We are proud to publish Shaili’s electrifying account of the midlife of Indian women. It won’t be possible to ignore or medicalise menopause after you read her.”

Shaili Chopra's dedication to menopause conversations

Shaili Chopra has been a crusader of sorts, spotlighting conversations around women that society often calls uncomfortable. Beyond the pages of her upcoming book, she has been spearheading campaigns and gatherings with women in midlife across India, shifting menopause dialogues from whispers to the mainstream. 

Chopra is hosting the Fabulous Over Forty– The Wellness Festival, the country’s first large-scale menopause-focused summit, on September 15 at The Lalit, Mumbai. The full-day event will see everything from candid conversations with well-known voices like Tisca Chopra, Soni Razdan, Geetanjali Kirloskar, Dr Nozer Sheriar, and many more, to live workshops, shopping corners, skincare and nutrition labs, and movement sessions.

Chopra will also soon release India's first documentary on menopause, shedding light on the raw journey of women as they transition into midlife. The film will feature prominent voices from across India, diving deep into the physical, emotional, and societal challenges women face beyond forty, from hormonal shifts and mental health struggles to workplace barriers and the cultural stigma surrounding menopause.

In Hot, Bothered and Unapologetic, she turns her sharp insight and signature wit towards midlife, one of the most misunderstood and under-discussed phases of a woman’s life. A passionate advocate for women’s health and agency, Chopra is on a mission to spark real conversations, challenge outdated norms and help women embrace this transformation on their own terms.