Neena Gupta recalls giving daughter Masaba a reality check on Bollywood debut: 'You don't look like heroine'

Masaba Gupta is Neena Gupta's daughter

• Neena Gupta gave Masaba a reality check about Bollywood heroine standards
• Masaba found success acting in Masaba Masaba and Modern Love Mumbai
• Neena Gupta stars in Vadh 2, releasing in theatres on February 6

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Masaba Gupta, the daughter of Neena Gupta, initially aspired to be a typical Hindi film heroine, but her mother gave her a realistic reality check at a young age.

Neena has recently revealed that although Masaba was inspired by her surroundings, she was urged to try acting in a new way. This choice ultimately helped the fashion designer realise her innate potential on screen.

During a recent interview with ANI, Neena recounted Masaba's early dreams of being a leading lady in Bollywood.

The actress shared, “It was not her decision. It just happened. Circumstances were like that.”

She further explained that Masaba was inspired by "everyone around her" pursuing similar goals. Neena, however, made the decision to be open and honest with her daughter about the standards of the industry at the time.

She added, “I told her, look, your face is like this, your body is like this. You won't get the heroine of a Hindi film because you don't look like that. It's a fact. You don't look like the heroine of a Hindi film of that time.”

Neena encouraged Masaba to pursue formal acting and advised her to think about character-driven parts instead of totally forbidding her. When Masaba made her acting debut in the Netflix series Masaba Masaba, where she portrayed a fictionalized version of herself alongside her mother, that guidance proved crucial.

Neena said that her daughter's performance touched her deeply.

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She recalled, “I cried when I saw her work. She is such a good actor. She's very natural. I was shocked. She was like a pro.”

Following her debut, Masaba added a role in the anthology Modern Love: Mumbai on Amazon Prime Video to broaden her acting resume. She continued to pursue chances outside of the fashion industry, where she is already well-known, by participating in a dance performance in Kesari Chapter 2 last year.

Neena Gupta is preparing for her upcoming film, Vadh 2, a criminal thriller in which she co-stars with Sanjay Mishra. The movie is slated to open in theatres on February 6.