Neena Gupta: Now, unique roles are written for actors my age

Playing the central character in Sardar Ka Grandson, Neena Gupta discusses how age is no longer a barrier for 60-plus women in showbiz

Neena Gupta vividly remembers sharing the post on Instagram in 2017, seeking work. If she felt trepidation about how the post would be received, it was overridden by her frustration of not finding equal opportunities and her determination to pursue the craft nonetheless. “I remember when I posted that [message] a few years back, and I am grateful that I have so much work today. Please nazar mat lagao,” laughs Gupta, who fought her way back into the industry that would not acknowledge senior female actors, let alone write roles for them. A stream of noteworthy films with her in pivotal roles, and awards followed. And with it, came a lesson for Bollywood — the often-propagated idea that female actors have a short shelf life was a thing of the past.

The movie focuses on the deep bond between Sardar and her grandson

Today, as she stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Arjun Kapoor as the central character of Sardar Ka Grandson, Gupta, 63, is proud to be a catalyst in the changing ways of the industry. “Things have changed for actors my age. Now, unique roles are being written for us, which never used to happen before.” 

The Kaashvie Nair-directed movie sees Kapoor’s character leave no stone unturned to fulfil the wish of his grandmother, essayed by Gupta. In the Netflix film, her character Sardar is constantly seen reminiscing about the past — a trait that she identifies with. “People preach that one should forget the past and live in the present. But I remember my past a lot. There are some good memories, some bad, and some regrets. It doesn’t mean that when I go back, I ruin my present. If anything, I get [motivated] that I will not make those mistakes again,” says the actor, who has lived life on her own terms.

To do justice to her 80-year-old grandmother act in the family drama, Gupta had to sport heavy prosthetics. She admits that wearing the prosthetics and removing them was a laborious process. “After pack-up, everybody used to run home while I used to sit in my vanity van and remove my make-up. But this role is precious to me. Not everybody gets to play a central character. When you get something like this, you must dive into it.”

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