A new dawn

NEENA GUPTA IS ENJOYING A SECOND SPELL OF STARDOM IN HER MIDDLE AGE. SHE SHARES HER EUPHORIA WITH ANALITA SETH

- ANALITA SETH

Age is just a number. Or rather, it should be. But more often than not, this doesn’t apply to our heroines. While a 50-plus hero is seen to be entering his golden age, for a heroine it’s the reverse. She’s said to be leaving her golden years behind and is expected to gracefully fade into the woodwork. Times are changing and thankfully today good roles are being written for mature actresses as well. One such beneficiary of this change is Neena Gupta. Thanks to her performances in films like Badhaai Ho, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan and series like Panchayat, she’s finding herself flush with offers. Neena appeared as a 90-year-old grandma in Sardar Ka Grandson recently and her bravura performance won hearts. She’s also revelling in the joy of her well-received autobiography Sach Kahun Toh. Excerpts from a free-flowing interview with the actress who has always lived life on her own terms…

What motivated you to write Sach Kahun Toh?

It was the time of the first lockdown. I had time to reflect and someone suggested that I should write. Fortunately, it all flowed smoothly this time around. I’ve tried before but I couldn’t write for long.

Did you at any moment feel like maybe it’s a bad idea?

I never felt it was a bad idea. It’s strange but it was like I took a road and I didn’t want to turn back. I just wanted to get somewhere and I kept going. The road was difficult but I never lost heart.

It’s got great reviews and the reception has been great...