Exclusive: Neena Gupta says she could finally refuse roles after Badhaai Ho

Neena Gupta is a living example of the proverb: ‘When there’s a will, there’s a way’. Distraught with no good roles coming her way, she had taken to social media to seek out work. She was soon offered Badhaai Do, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The actor did the best work thereon, from shows like Panchayat, Masaba Masaba to starring in films like Uunchai and Lust Stories. In an exclusive chat with India Today Digital, the actor shared that she also gained the liberty to say no to work.
Sharing that she sometimes felt upset about getting good work so late in life, but is satisfied that at least she managed to get it. “Dukh hota hai ke jawaani mein nahi mila but mila toh. Agar marr jaati bina mile toh (I do feel sad about getting good work late in life but at least got it before I died). I am just thankful that God gave me so much,” Neena Gupta said.
The Masaba Masaba actor further shared that her mantra in life has always been to go with the flow. She shared that for many years she felt like a beggar with no option to say no.
Neena mentioned that it was only now that she could say no to something she didn’t like and it was liberating. “As they say, beggars can never be choosers. Because of money, I had to accept everything that was offered to me. It was only recently that I could say no to a big film because I did not like the part. And trust me, I really felt happy about it,” she said.
The actor recently starred in a Malayalam web show, 1000 Babies, along with actors Rahman and Sanju Sivram. When asked if she wanted to do a regional project given the popularity of the language, the actor smiled to say, “I don’t think like that. I really believe in doing good work regardless of the language. Jo bhi accha kaam aata hai woh kar leti hu main (Whatever good work I get, I pick it).”
1000 Babies is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar