Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Feb 3: Veteran actress Neena Gupta has opened up about her early struggles in the film industry, revealing how several of her films went unnoticed despite her hard work, largely due to the lack of promotion.

A National School of Drama graduate, Neena Gupta has carved a distinguished career in films and television with acclaimed performances in projects such as Gandhi, Saans, Panchayat, Badhaai Ho and Vadh. In an exclusive interview, the actress reflected on the tough lessons she learnt over more than two decades in the industry.

Neena said she has come to understand that the film industry functions purely as a business, where roles and remuneration depend on popularity, success and market demand rather than emotions or effort alone. “I had to do everything because I didn’t have money. Now I have understood that this industry is a business. You have a market value. You get paid accordingly and you get roles accordingly. One should not get emotional,” she said.

The actress, however, admitted that one of the most painful phases of her career was when her work failed to reach audiences due to inadequate publicity. “Every artist wants to be seen by as many people as possible. It’s painful when I give my all to a film and it goes unnoticed,” she said, recalling a time when several films she worked on were released without promotion. “No one saw them, even though I had given my all. That is painful.”

Neena added that while the disappointment still hurts, she has learnt to accept it with maturity. “I want people to see my work and say, ‘What work you have done.’ If that doesn’t happen, it hurts, but it’s okay. You don’t get everything. God gives you accordingly,” she said.

Over the years, Neena Gupta’s contribution to cinema has been recognised with multiple honours, including National Film Awards, Filmfare Awards and Filmfare OTT Awards.

She will next be seen in Vadh 2, alongside Sanjay Mishra. The film, described as a spiritual sequel to Vadh, features an intense narrative revolving around emotional conflict, hidden truths and a gripping chase. Directed by Jaspal Singh Sandhu and produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg under the Luv Films banner, the film also stars Kumud Mishra, Akshay Dogra, Amitt K Singh, Shilpa Shukla and Yogita Bihani, and is slated to release in theatres on February 6.