Neena Gupta

Category:Cast
Neena Gupta (born 5 June 1959) is an Indian actress and television director. Known for her work in both art-house and commercial films, she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing a young widow in Woh Chokri (1994). In 2018, she saw career resurgence for starring as a middle-aged pregnant woman in the comedy-drama Badhaai Ho, for which she won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress and received a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.
Neena Gupta (born 5 June 1959) is an Indian actress and television director. Known for her work in both art-house and commercial films, she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing a young widow in Woh Chokri (1994). In 2018, she saw career resurgence for starring as a middle-aged pregnant woman in the comedy-drama Badhaai Ho, for which she won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress and received a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She again appeared alongside Gajraj Rao in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan.
Gupta's television appearances include a leading role in the drama series Saans (1999) and as the host of the Indian version of the television quiz show The Weakest Link, named Kamzor Kadii Kaun.
== Early life and education ==
Neena Gupta was born on 5 June 1959. in New Delhi to R.N.Gupta and attended the Lawrence School, Sanawar. Gupta did her Master's Degree and M.Phil. in Sanskrit, and is an alumnus of National School of Drama, New Delhi.
== Career[edit] ==
=== Film career[edit] ===
Gupta has made appearances in several international films, such as Gandhi (1982), in which she played the niece of Mahatma Gandhi, and Merchant Ivory films, The Deceivers (1988), Mirza Ghalib (1989) In Custody (1993), and Cotton Mary (1999). She also made an impression in Indian parallel cinema such as Mandi (1983), Rihaee (1988), Drishti (1990) and Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda (1992). These performances further established her profile in Indian movies alongside her arthouse film contemporaries Rekha, Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil and Dimple Kapadia. Despite this, Gupta never had a major commercial hit and found it difficult to find more dramatic roles: "I made a few mistakes in the beginning of my career. I didn't have anybody to guide me. I didn't have a secretary. I didn't call up directors, or meet people asking for roles. Also, because of the media, there is a perception that I am a strong woman. Unfortunately, in our society, that goes against you. So, I got negative, vampish roles only. Plain and simple female roles never come my way because of my image, which is very wrong. My personal life got typecast into my professional life."
Her appearance in Hindi movies was especially noted in the satirical movie, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro in which she played the role of a secretary to Pankaj Kapoor. She also starred along with Madhuri Dixit in Khalnayak (1993); she was featured in the popular song "Choli Ke Peeche" in the movie. She has made television movies, Lajwanti and Bazar Sitaram (1993), which won the 1993 National Film Award for Best First Non-Feature Film. In 1994, Gupta's breakthrough came in the acclaimed drama Woh Chokri as a recently widowed daughter-in-law; this performance won her a National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In 2017, Gupta made headlines when she shared a post on Instagram asking for work: "I live in Mumbai and working as a good actor looking for good parts to play." Fed up with the lack of roles being written for middle-aged women in Bollywood, Gupta later reflected, "After that Instagram post, I got many offers -- five, in fact, and I accepted all of them. There is no shame in saying you don't have work." One of the offers she accepted was Amit Sharma's comedy-drama Badhaai Ho (2018), which emerged as the 9th highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2018. Her performance as a middle-aged pregnant mother earned widespread critical acclaim, with various critics and publications citing her performance as the film's highlight and one of the best of her career. Rajeev Masand credited Gupta for bringing "real empathy" to the part, while Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV described her portrayal as "outstandingly measured." Acting opposite Ayushmann Khurrana as her son, Gupta received various accolades for her performance including the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress, the Screen Award for Best Actress (Critics), and the BFJA Award for Best Supporting Actor - Female. At 60, she became the second-eldest Best Actress nominee in Filmfare Award history after Sharmila Tagore.
Gupta appeared in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's sports comedy-drama Panga, and has reunited with Ayushmann Khurrana for Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan. Neena Gupta, Manoj Bajpayee, Sakshi Tanwar team up for upcoming thriller 'Dial 100'.
=== Television career ===
Her big break on television came with Khandaan (1985), Yatra (1986), Gulzar's Mirza Ghalib (1987), a TV miniseries, followed by Shyam Benegal's Bharat Ek Khoj (1988) and later Dard (1994), Gumraah (1995), Shrimaan Shrimati (1995), Saans, Saat Phere: Saloni Ka Safar (2005), Chitthi (2003), Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin (2004). She has also acted in the TV serial, Buniyaad.
She also hosted the Indian version of the TV series The Weakest Link, Kamzor Kadii Kaun and appeared in Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin which gave her considerable popularity.
She has directed successful TV series, such as Saans (1999), Siski in (2000) and Kyun Hota Hai Pyarrr. She played the role of Shubha, one of the four women main leads in Ladies Special, a daily soap on Sony TV. She is now seen in Dil se Diya Vachan as a doctor by profession and mother-in-law of the lead character Nandani which airs on Zee TV
She also ran a theatre production company, 'Sahaj Productions' with actor, Rajendra Gupta, and acted as well as produced the Hindi play Soorya Ki Antim Kiran Se Soorya Ki Paheli Kiran Tak. She has also had some roles in Rishtey which was aired on Zee TV during 1999-2000.
She also re-appeared alongside Jitendra Kumar in Amazon Prime series Panchayat.
== Filmography ==
=== Films ===
Year	Film 	Role 	Notes
1982	Saath Saath 	 	
1982	Aadat Se Majboor 	 	
1982	Gandhi 	Abha 	
1982	Yeh Nazdeekiyan 	 	
1982	Jaipur Junction 	 	
1982	Aadharshila 	 	
1983	Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron 	Priya 	
1983	Mandi 	Vasanti 	
1984	Utsav 	Madanika 	
1984	Laila 	Salma 	
1985	Agnidaah 	Sunita 	
1985	Trikaal 	Milagrenia 	
1987	Taniya 	 	
1987	Susman 	Mandira 	
1988	Rihaee 	Sukhi 	
1988	The Deceivers 	Gopal's Wife 	
1989	Batwara 	 	
1990	Kaarnama 	Vyjayanti 	
1990	Swarg 	Naina 	
1990	Drishti 	Revati 	
1991	Vasthuhara 	Damayanthi 	Malayalam film
1991	Aadhi Mimansa 	 	
1992	Aham 	 	Malayalam film
1992	Zulm Ki Hukumat 	Yeshwant's wife 	
1992	Balwaan 	 	
1992	Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda 	Satti 	
1992	Yalgaar 	Kaushalya Kumar 	
1992	Angaar 	Majid's Wife 	(uncredited)
1992	Kal Ki Awaz 	Mrs. Fahmida Nooruddin Ahmed	
1993	Khalnayak 	Champa Didi 	
1993	Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda 	 	
1993	Veerta 	Uma 	
1993	Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee 	Street Singer 	(in song "Shayarana Si Hai Zindagi")
1993	Bhagavad Gita 	Drupadi 	National Film Award for Best Feature Film
1993	Aankhen 	Chief minister's wife 	(uncredited)
1994	Woh Chokri 	 	National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress
1994	Jazbaat 	 	
1994	Eena Meena Deeka 	 	
1994	Sone Ki Sita 	 	
1994	Anth 	Mrs. Vikas Saxena 	
1994	In Custody 	Sarla 	
1995	Nazar 	 	
1995	Dushmani: A Violent Love Story 	 	
1997	Uff! Yeh Mohabbat 	Billo 	
1997	Jeeo Shaan Se 	 	
1999	Cotton Mary 	Blossom (Mary's sister) 	
2002	Raat Ke Saudagar 	 	
2004	Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin 	Savitri 	
2005	Nazar 	as Jogan 	
2009	Teree Sang 	Paaki M. Puri 	
2009	The White Elephant 	 	
2010	Veer 	Mangla 	
2010	Hello Zindagi 	 	
2010	Na Ghar Ke Na Ghaat Ke 	Mrs. S. Tripathi 	
2010	Chhevan Dariya (The Sixth River)	Gurjeet Kaur 	
2012	Mere Dost Picture Abhi Baaki Hai	as Mymmyji 	
2013	Issaq 	as Amma 	
2015	Alone 	as Sanjana's Mother 	
2015	The Threshold 	Rinku 	
2018	Veere Di Wedding 	Mrs. Sharma 	
2018	Mulk 	Tabassum 	
2018	Badhaai Ho 	Priyamvada Kaushik 	Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress
Nominated –Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2019	Music Teacher 	Madhavi 	
2019	The Last Color 	Noor 	
2020	Panga 	Jaya's mother 	
2020	Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan 	Sunaina Tripathi 	
2021	83 	Raj Kumari Nikhanj 	Cameo appearance
2021	Gwalior 	Manju Mishra 	
2021	Dial 100 	TBA 	Filming
=== Series ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes 	Ref.
1985 	Khandaan 	 	 	
1986 	Yatra 	 	 	
1988 	Gul Gulshan Gulfaam 	 	 	
1989 	Dard 	 	Also Director 	
1989 	Daddy 	Vimla 	Television film 	
1994 	Junoon 	Reema 	 	
1994–1995	Daane Anaar Ke 	 	 	
1998–1999	Saans 	Priya Kapoor 	Also writer and director	
1999 	Pal Chhin 	N/A 	Director 	
2000 	Siski 	Anoushka Saxena 	Also director 	
2000–2004	Son Pari 	N/A 	Producer 	
2001–2002	Kamzor Kadii Kaun 	Host 	 	
2002 	Saanjhi 	Kanak 	Also writer 	
2002–2004	Kyun Hota Hai Pyarrr 	N/A 	Producer 	
2004 	Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin	Nandini 	 	
2005–2009	Saat Phere 	Manno Bhabhi 	 	
2009 	Ladies Special 	Shubha Joshi 	 	
2010–2011	Dil Se Diya Vachan 	Dr. Kalyani Rajadhyaksha	 	
2018 	Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain	N/A 	Writer 	
2019 	Made in Heaven 	Veenu Roshan 	Guest 	
2020 	Panchayat 	Manju Devi 	 	
2020 	Masaba Masaba 	Herself 	 	
2020 	PariWar 	Kadambari 	Hotstar 	
== Awards and nominations[edit] ==
Year	Work 	Award 	Category 	Result 	Ref.
1993	Bazaar Sitaram	National Film Awards	Best First Non-Feature Film 	Won 	
1994	Woh Chokri 	National Film Awards	Best Supporting Actress 	Won 	
1999	Saans 	Screen Awards 	Best Actress (Television) 	Won 	
2019	Badhaai Ho 	Screen Awards 	Best Actress (Critics) 	Won 	
2019	Badhaai Ho 	Lions Gold Awards 	Best Actor (Female) 	Won 	
2019	Badhaai Ho 	Zee Cine Awards 	Best Extraordinary couple of the year (shared with Gajraj Rao)	Won 	
2019	Badhaai Ho 	Filmfare Awards 	Best Actress 	Nominated	
2019	Badhaai Ho 	Filmfare Awards 	Best Actress (Critics) 	Won 	
2020	Panchayat 	Filmfare OTT Awards 	Best Supporting Actor (Female) (Comedy Series) 	Won 	
== Personal life ==
She was in a highly publicised relationship with former West Indian cricketer Vivian Richards in the 1980s, with whom she has a daughter, Masaba Gupta, a designer. Neena chose to raise Masaba as a single-mother in India. It was at that time she chose to move the family from New Delhi to Mumbai. On 15 July 2008, Neena married New Delhi-based Vivek Mehra, a chartered accountant and Partner with PwC India in a secret ceremony in the United States.