Neena Gupta is well known for criticising patriarchy and taking on roles that challenge stereotypes. She has never been afraid to call a spade a spade. The actress is at the peak of her career at the age of 60, having worked on shows like Masaba Masaba and portrayed some of the most well-known roles on the big screen in recent years.
The actress is renowned for taking on unusual parts and bringing enchantment to each one. The seasoned actress spoke with Bollywood Hungama in an exclusive interview for her upcoming movie Uunchai about how she is cast in movies and how she has also had some less-than-stellar roles in the past.
Dekho, main yeh select karri hoon, mere paas zyaada option nahi hoti. Happily, mere paas accha material is available at this time. [As you can see, I typically have no say in the movies I see. Thankfully, lately, I’ve been receiving quality information,” Neena stated.
Pehle to maine bohot aisi films bhi ki hai jo main pray karti thi ki bhagwaan yeh release hi na ho, she went on to say. Films with a gande gande role are more prevalent. [Back then, I worked on so many bad movies that I used to frequently wish that they wouldn’t be released. That was how terrible the roles and movies were.]
“Jo mere mann ko nahi bhaata vo main nahi karti, ab. Mujhe jo accha lagta hai main karti hoon. Aata tha karna padhta tha ek zamaane me jo. Theek nahi lagta vo nahi karti ab jo yahaan se. I now only work on movies that I actually enjoy. There was a time when I had to do any kind of roles that came to me. Now, the ones which don’t feel right to me in the heart, I don’t do them.]”
The movie Uunchai, which was produced by Rajshri Productions and was directed by Sooraj Barjatya, is about three friends who decide to grant their fourth friend’s final wish—to climb Mount Everest—at any cost. The movie stars Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani, and Anupam Kher in the key roles, with Parineeti Chopra serving as their mentor. The release of Uunchai is scheduled for November 11.