“Neena Gupta Recalls Girish Karnad’s Candid Warning: ‘No Heroine Roles for You'”
“Neena Gupta’s Journey in Bollywood: From Typecasting to Realizing the Business of Showbiz”
Neena Gupta, a well-established figure in Bollywood, has built a remarkable career over the years, marked by her outstanding performances in several acclaimed films. Recently, the “Badhaai Ho” actress opened up about an encounter with Girish Karnad, where he candidly informed her that she wouldn’t secure lead roles after her appearance in “Saath Saath.”
In an interview with The Indian Express, Neena Gupta discussed her role as a comedic character in the 1982 film “Saath Saath.” While her performance was well-received, it led to her being typecast and receiving similar offers. She shared Girish Karnad’s words on the matter: “He said now you will never get a heroine role, you will never get a lead. And that’s what happened. Because once you do a comedy, especially as a woman, then you are finished. They cannot imagine you in a romantic lead role. And for many years, I got offers to do the same role, same clothes, same spectacles, same everything.”
Although her role as a bespectacled girl in “Saath Saath” received acclaim, it didn’t work in her favor in terms of the variety of roles she was offered.
“Saath Saath” is a 1982 film written and directed by Raman Kumar, starring Farooque Shaikh and Deepti Naval in the lead roles. It tells the story of an idealistic man and his classmate who marry and start a family, but their lives take a turn as they face financial distress.
Neena Gupta, an alumna of the prestigious National School of Drama (NSD), initially believed that her acting skills would lead to numerous opportunities when she moved to Mumbai. However, she quickly realized that the entertainment industry is a business with its own set of rules, and she made some mistakes along the way.
In terms of her recent work, Neena Gupta has appeared in Vishal Bhardwaj’s mystery thriller web series “Charlie Chopra,” the anthology film “Lust Stories,” and the romantic comedy “Ishq-E-Nadaan.” Her upcoming project includes the third season of “Panchayat.”
