Loneliness is always there, it's a phase that comes and goes and it is a very difficult phase.
Neena Gupta
I am by and large an honest person, I have nothing to hide.
I've evolved with time and learnt from my daughter which designers and singers are in.
As women, we always crave for family and a loving partner and in our quest to find that happy space we overlook a lot of things.
In PhD, my topic was Stage Techniques in Sanskrit Drama - theory and practice. I wanted to combine my drama training with Sanskrit drama, which has a very rich history in literature.
I'm a very shy person and find it difficult to ask for work even if I know somebody for ages.
Who ever lives life on their own terms?
I lost my mother to cancer, so once Masaba was born, my father moved from Old Delhi to live with me in Mumbai.
My profession is to change myself according to my role and I work hard on it.
I didn't want to get married to somebody just because I was ageing and wanted a child.
I didn't do anything with the thought that I want to go against society or bend any rules.
I've realised that nothing that happens is so grim that life can't go on. Life always goes on, no matter what. Even in the grimmest situation, I see hope.
I know people who've had dreams unrealised due to circumstances.
My upbringing saved me.
The more trauma and bad experiences you have, the more you are able to laugh on yourself and the situation.
I used to not get work even on TV, but wherever I went, they'd treat me with respect but never offer work.
It takes effort to not be lonely.
I'm was a very shy person, a very shy person and couldn't go to people in my college. We used to do plays, and I would never get the main female role. I would always get a boys' role because it was a girls college and I was a little taller than other girls.
Everything is destined, I believe... People you meet and end up marrying.
If you do one big commercial film and it's a hit, everybody takes you for that particular kind of a role.
It is close to impossible to find a man who can bear with a woman, who is a notch above or equal to him. Such men are still not there in this world. It is like we will always be facing trouble in our lives.
You can't take me for granted!
My mother was a Gandhian and very strict.
I won't get a role if I say I want to do that. It depends on how saleable you're at that time.
I want to try something on situational comedy.
My mother was very interested for me to become an IAS officer.
Every child needs both parents.
I watch lots of American shows like 'Desperate Housewives' and so on.
I have found ways to kill this ever-present feeling of loneliness. I try a new dish and experiment with food, I'll clean my cupboard, do the little things in the house, and I keep myself busy. I find things to do.
I am very much aware that I am considered a 'strong woman.' And I am also aware that that is only because I had a child outside wedlock.
I take audience reaction very seriously.
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.
The media had built my perception of being a strong woman because of my personal life. I wanted to play the damsel in distress, but I wasn't given an opportunity to explore that kind of a character.
I think everyone is lonely whether you are in a good marriage or a bad marriage somewhere down the line you become lonely, and to get rid of that loneliness you have to try really hard.
The fact that my parents were both educated and held certain values very dearly, like honesty, self-respect and integrity, meant that I could steer clear of many pitfalls.
I used to tell myself that I am a good actor, I have a good body, I have a pretty face, have long hair, have a good soul, so if there is one thing I don't have, don't make a big issue of it.
I am an actor, I can do any role.
I simply love doing household chores and cooking.
I'm not a strong woman at all. And I'm not a feminist. In fact, I'm very weak.
If you don't have one thing, what's the big deal? Not everybody has everything.
I can look Punjabi, South Indian, gareeb and ameer too.
My first car was a second-hand Padmini Standard that I bought for '25,000 in 1985. It was a lot of money for me. The Padmini Standard was one of those small cars which was very popular during that time. However, I never drove the car and still don't drive one.
Doing theatre in Delhi didn't guarantee success in Mumbai.
Traditionally, our society has always seen women as homemakers and men as bread-earners. The demarcations are engraved in stone, perhaps.
I was offered 'Bigg Boss' twice but I can't do such shows.
Whether I act or direct I ensure that there is a social message attached.
Saath Saath' was my first big mistake!
I've always decided that I would never be dependant on a man.
I can laugh at my own grief.
I know I do good work.
