BOLLYWOOD
Neena Gupta has shared that she was once replaced with Tanuja from an Amitabh Bachchan film even after her costumes were ready. The veteran actress will be seen next in Panchayat Season 4, which released on Prime Video India on June 24.
Neena Gupta started her second innings in Bollywood after she put out an Instagram post asking for work, that read, "I live in Mumbai and working as a good actor looking for good parts to play." After that, the veteran actress has been playing pivotal roles in famous films and series including Badhaai Ho, Mulk, Panchayat, Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, Uunchai, Vadh, and others. While promoting the fourth season of Panchayat, Neena shared that she is still struggling to find work and has been replaced in multiple films without being informed.
Talking to the journalist Nayandeep Rakshit, the 66-year-old actress said, "Men of my age or even older continue to play heroes on the big screen, but I am considered for a grandmother also at times. Men have more character roles, and we don’t. I know other actresses who are friends, and they still don’t have any work. I still message and reach out to people for work. If I see on Instagram that a film has been announced or I see an actor visiting a producer’s office, then I call my manager and get the director’s number and send a message asking if there is anything for me. You need to do that, no matter how big a star you are."
Neena Gupta got to know that she has been replaced in a recent film through Instagram
She further shared a recent incident in which she came to know that she has been replaced in a film through paparazzi videos on Instagram. "There have been times when people sign you and then replace you. Recently, I was called for a film and they said you have to do it. I said okay. They were discussing the money and dates, but a few days later, I saw on Instagram that an actress of my age is going to their office. I asked my manager to find out and learned that she was signed in my place. Instagram is not stupid; sometimes it’s very useful. Then I wrote a message to that producer saying that they should at least inform if they changed their mind. He realised his mistake, and said sorry. Now, we are doing a film together soon", Neena added.
Neena Gupta was replaced with Tanuja in Amitabh Bachchan film
The actress also recalled how she was once replaced in an Amitabh Bachchan film even after her costumes were ready as she concluded, "Once, in an older film of mine with Amitabh Bachchan, my blouses were stitched, the costume was ready, and they went ahead and took Tanuja for that role. Then I got to know I was no longer in that film. But one should not feel bad and bitter about it, just move on."
Meanwhile, Panchayat Season 4 is set to release on Prime Video India on June 24. Created by TVF, the web series also stars Jitendra Kumar, Raghubir Yadav, Faisal Malik, Chandan Roy, Sanvikaa, Durgesh Kumar, Sunita Rajwar, Ashok Pathak, and Pankaj Jha in leading roles.