Published on: Jan 06, 2026 11:13 am IST
Neena Gupta spoke about her career trajectory in a new interaction, lamenting never playing a commercial heroine.
Neena Gupta has had a long and stellar career that has traversed the so-called parallel cinema in the 80s, seen the highs of cable TV in the 90s, and tasted commercial film success in the 21st century. But the actor feels she could have done more. In a recent interview, Neena lamented that she could never be the female lead in commercial Hindi films during her heyday.
Neena Gupta appeared in many parallel arthouse films in the 80s. Neena Gupta on her career trajectory
Speaking with Humans of Bombay, Neena reflected on her career and said, “I often think that compared to many heroines today, I could have done a better job and even looked better. These thoughts do come, but what is the point?”
When probed on what she feels went wrong with the way she approached thing, the veteran actor added, “It was my fault because I didn’t always have the patience. I looked for the wrong things. Most of the time, I had low self-esteem, and I believe these factors hampered my growth. I also didn’t have anyone to guide me, no godmother or godfather. Eventually, I realised this industry is a business. There’s nothing emotional about it. I didn’t understand the rules or the game.”
Neena Gupta’s film journey so far
Neena began her career in the early 1980s with films like Gandhi and Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, before taking on supporting roles in arthouse comedies like Saath Saath. She had prominent roles in iconic TV shows like Mirza Ghalib and Saans, before finding a second wind to her career with the sleeper hit Badhaai Ho in 2018. She was most recently seen in Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri. She will be next seen in Vadh 2, which reunites her with Sanjay Mishra. The film releases on 6 February.
News / Entertainment / Bollywood / Neena Gupta says she ‘looked better compared to many heroines today’: Could have done a better job
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