Neena Gupta, who is all set to reprise her role as Manju Devi, in the much-awaited third season of the OTT show 'Panchayat', is one of the most revered actresses in Bollywood. Neena Gupta, who has been active in the film industry since 1982, is counted among the best actresses of Hindi cinema, but, there was a time when she had to struggle a lot to make her place in the industry. However, times soon changed and she regained her lost stardom by playing one role.
Neena Gupta is a National Award-winning actress who faced a lot of pressure from filmmakers for getting work. Despite being active in the film industry for many years, she struggled to become a lead star. Neena Gupta, in her career so far, has worked with superstars such as Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit, and Ayushmann Khurrana, among others, but there was a time when she was forced to ask for work.
In a recent interview with News18 Showsha, Neena Gupta revealed that there was a time in her career when she was in such a fix that she could not say no to any roles and was ready to do anything and everything.
Neena Gupta said, "Earlier, there was a greater need for money, so one had to do very bad things. Many times I used to pray to God that this movie shouldn’t be released. Now I can say no, I couldn’t say no before. I agree to the script that I really like, and I don’t do what I don’t like."
There was a time, when Neena Gupta, due to a lack of work, also came forward and asked for work from filmmakers via Instagram.
"My post was a huge hit but I did not get work even after that. I got small roles that I used to get before as well. My life changed after 'Badhaai Ho'. This post was of no help and it only gave me the scandalous type of fame but only after 'Badhaai Ho' I got work," Neena Gupta told Bollywood Life.
Neena Gupta played such a character in 'Badhaai Ho' that she became a star overnight. Apart from Neena Gupta, stars like Ayushmann Khurrana, Gajraj Rao, Sanya Malhotra, and Surekha Sikri played important roles in this film. According to Box Office India, 'Badhaai Ho' collected Rs 219 crore and was a superhit.
Neena Gupta has always been referred to as a 'rebel' in the media which she thinks is because she is a single mother. Neena Gupta was in a relationship with former West Indies cricketer Vivian Richards in the late 1980s. The couple never got married but they have a daughter named Masaba Gupta born in 1989. Since Richards was married at the time, Neena Gupta raised Masaba Gupta as a single mother.
Neena Gupta has been married to New Delhi–based chartered accountant Vivek Mehra since 2008.
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