“I Prayed Some Films Would Never Release,” Neena Gupta Opens Up About Dark Phases of Her Career – Woman’s era Magazine
Veteran actress Neena Gupta is today regarded as one of the most powerful and versatile performers in Indian cinema. From impactful film roles to scene-stealing performances on OTT platforms, she has built a career that many actors aspire to. However, the journey to this point was far from smooth. Behind her success lies a story of struggle, humiliation, and deep professional regret, experiences that the actress has now spoken about candidly.
Neena Gupta
Neena Gupta’s Shocking Revelations
In a recent interview with one of the media houses, the 66-year-old actress made a shocking revelation about certain films she worked on early in her career. Neena admitted that she had taken up roles she deeply regretted and even prayed to God that those films would never see the light of day. She shared, “I’ve done such things that I would come home and pray to God that the film should not be released. In one film, I was a member of Shakti Kapoor’s gang. That was my role.”
Neena Gupta
Her statement highlights the difficult choices she had to make during a time when opportunities for strong female characters were limited. One of the most disturbing revelations from the interview was Neena Gupta’s account of being publicly abused by a director on set. Recalling the incident, she said she was verbally attacked for no fault of hers, and the abuse extended to her mother and sister.
Neena Gupta
“You can’t even imagine. I’ve been abused on set. For no fault of mine, I was called names involving my mother and sister. The director used those words. He just wanted money. If he had something else, he wouldn’t have done this,” said Neena. She further clarified that she wasn’t trapped in the situation but endured it because of the harsh realities of the industry at the time.
Neena Gupta
Neena Gupta began her film journey in 1982 with Saath Saath and soon became known for her natural performances. Over the years, she worked across parallel cinema, mainstream films, international projects, and television, proving her range as an actor. She appeared in several acclaimed international films, including Gandhi, The Deceivers, In Custody, Cotton Mary, and projects associated with Merchant Ivory Productions.
