Neena Gupta recalls telling Masaba she didn't fit the Hindi film heroine image
Neena Gupta shared that daughter Masaba Gupta once aspired to be a traditional Bollywood heroine but was given an honest reality check about industry standards.
Neena Gupta recently revealed that her daughter Masaba Gupta once dreamed of becoming a traditional Hindi film heroine, but she gave her an honest reality check early on. The veteran actor shared that while Masaba was influenced by those around her, she was encouraged to explore acting differently, a decision that eventually led the fashion designer to discover her natural talent on screen.
In a recent interview with ANI, Neena recalled Masaba’s early aspirations to enter Bollywood as a leading lady. “It was not her decision. It just happened. Circumstances were like that," she said, explaining that Masaba was influenced by “everyone around her” pursuing similar ambitions. However, Neena chose to be candid with her daughter about the industry’s expectations at the time.
“I told her, look, your face is like this, your body is like this. You won't get the heroine of a Hindi film because you don't look like that. It's a fact. You don't look like the heroine of a Hindi film of that time,” she said.
Rather than discouraging her completely, Neena guided Masaba towards formal acting training and suggested she consider character-driven roles. That advice proved pivotal when Masaba made her acting debut with the Netflix series Masaba Masaba, where she played a fictionalised version of herself alongside her mother.
Neena admitted she was deeply moved by her daughter’s performance. "I cried when I saw her work. She is such a good actor. She's very natural. I was shocked. She was like a pro,” she said, praising Masaba’s ease in front of the camera.
After her debut, Masaba expanded her acting portfolio with a segment in Amazon Prime Video’s anthology Modern Love: Mumbai. Last year, she also appeared in a dance number in Kesari Chapter 2, continuing to explore opportunities beyond the fashion world where she is already a celebrated name.
Meanwhile, Neena Gupta is gearing up for her next release, Vadh 2, a crime thriller co-starring Sanjay Mishra. The film is scheduled to hit theatres on February 6.
Neena Gupta recently revealed that her daughter Masaba Gupta once dreamed of becoming a traditional Hindi film heroine, but she gave her an honest reality check early on. The veteran actor shared that while Masaba was influenced by those around her, she was encouraged to explore acting differently, a decision that eventually led the fashion designer to discover her natural talent on screen.
In a recent interview with ANI, Neena recalled Masaba’s early aspirations to enter Bollywood as a leading lady. “It was not her decision. It just happened. Circumstances were like that," she said, explaining that Masaba was influenced by “everyone around her” pursuing similar ambitions. However, Neena chose to be candid with her daughter about the industry’s expectations at the time.
“I told her, look, your face is like this, your body is like this. You won't get the heroine of a Hindi film because you don't look like that. It's a fact. You don't look like the heroine of a Hindi film of that time,” she said.
Rather than discouraging her completely, Neena guided Masaba towards formal acting training and suggested she consider character-driven roles. That advice proved pivotal when Masaba made her acting debut with the Netflix series Masaba Masaba, where she played a fictionalised version of herself alongside her mother.
Neena admitted she was deeply moved by her daughter’s performance. "I cried when I saw her work. She is such a good actor. She's very natural. I was shocked. She was like a pro,” she said, praising Masaba’s ease in front of the camera.
After her debut, Masaba expanded her acting portfolio with a segment in Amazon Prime Video’s anthology Modern Love: Mumbai. Last year, she also appeared in a dance number in Kesari Chapter 2, continuing to explore opportunities beyond the fashion world where she is already a celebrated name.
Meanwhile, Neena Gupta is gearing up for her next release, Vadh 2, a crime thriller co-starring Sanjay Mishra. The film is scheduled to hit theatres on February 6.