Neena Gupta (finally) wins for 'Badhaai Ho!' Why the wait forever?

A few days back, Neena Gupta just won her first Filmfare award (for Badhaai Ho!).  And guess what, so did Gajraj Rao, Neena's co-star in the film. When Neena shared a picture of herself, holding the coveted black lady — revealing that it was indeed her first — congratulations poured in from everywhere, praising her work.

And rightly so. After all, her contribution to the Indian screen is undeniable.

But it begs the question — really, this is her first ever?

Fans of Neena Gupta, like yours truly, remember how, back in 2017, she took to social media to ask for work. "I live in Mumbai and working. I am a good actor looking for good parts to play," she captioned an image of herself and shared on Instagram.

The woman, the artiste, the absolute trail blazer who proudly became a single mother in the 1980s after a rumoured romance with West Indies cricketer Viv Richards, who took on all of Indian society, and indeed, charmed most of it — and the National Award-winner — was asking for work.

Masaba Gupta, her daughter, reposted the same image, with a heartfelt message that is both a commentary on what can only be seen as the entertainment industry's double standards and of how women of different ages are perceived in the industry. “She (Neena) complains that she can't do PR .., but says 'I do good work, that's my PR',” wrote Masaba. Yes, clearly good work pays off — we see that today as she clutches an award in her hands. It gets noticed in time — but should talent suffer due to the lack of PR?

PR is marketing, PR is essential — and PR is also an evil most actors have sworn their hatred for, and yet, admitted that it cannot be done away with, especially today. Should someone like a Neena Gupta or a Gajraj Rao, by virtue of not having learned the ropes of this newly-evolved industry trend, lose out on their due, that is a loss for the fraternity, not the talent.

Then, Masaba went on to add how Neena regrets there are not enough roles written for women of her age, “She told me they don't write for women her age anymore." Well, the year 2018 has been ever so slightly different — we can talk about Badhaai Ho! or Andhadhun, where older women (and men, in case of Badhaai Ho!) have led a cast of younger actors. And this award that Neena Gupta poses with is proof of that.

Masaba in her post had revealed why Neena doesn’t shy away from asking for work, even at her age (she was 62 then). No self-respect seems to be hurt, no log kya kehenge seems to cloud her earnest request. “She told me I must always work... no matter what... it keeps you from getting old,” read a portion of Masaba’s post. Indeed, good work is not bound by age — its one and only parameter is talent.

And that’s something Neena Gupta has got in abundance.

Yes, it’s a very well-deserved award. And we wish her many, many more such in the future.

Also read: Kesari is a triumph of acting, action – and Akshay!