Neena Gupta opens up...

A few years ago, Neena Gupta was the perfect example of ‘a single, independent woman’ in Bollywood.

Today, she feels marriage and children are essential in every woman’s life. Married to a Delhi-based chartered accountant, she strongly feels that one has to follow the ‘rules’ of the society. “Life is very tough for women. When you are a certain age, you are left alone at home with no one to share your life with. It’s all very hunky dory to say that you will fight on your own, but at the end of the day, you do need a companion.

There is a time in life when all your friends are married with kids. If you want to go out for coffee you have to beg your friends to go out with you. It was a mistake not to marry at the right age. When you get older, even men aren’t interested in you.”

Neena who’s now Manno bhabhi (Saat Phere) on screen, feels being part of showbiz does not ensure that one gets to meet interesting people every day. She feels it’s “like any other profession. If you want to find someone, you have to go out and meet people.” A firm believer of destiny, Neena says, “Marriage happened very late for me. It took place at a time, when my definition of companionship had really narrowed down. If your marriage doesn’t work, that doesn’t mean, you give up. It’s not easy to be on your own. Once you decide to marry, you have to work at it to keep it rocking.”

Neena confesses that she wants to do some interesting cinema like Shabana Azmi or Kirron Kher, but there are no such offers yet. She also admits that if she doesn’t have enough good projects, it’s also because she doesn’t know how to market herself at all. “Sometimes, I think I was not meant for this profession. I am a home body.” Neena’s happy with the way her career is shaping on television. She admits television does show “some regressive stuff”, but she feels the audience is to blame for the content. “Why do they continue to see such stuff?”she probes.

Although her husband lives in Delhi, Neena prefers to live in Mumbai with her father and daughter Masaba. So is she prepared for a long distance [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]relationship[/COLOR][/COLOR]? “I don’t know. My daughter is a priority, so until she is settled, I have to give her time. Vivek is a good human being and most importantly a family man, so he understands me completely.” Neena is busy doing a daily show, but wants to start a boutique, write a book and “produce a movie, if the forces of nature help me,” she laughs.

Neena would love to do movies like A Wednesday, “but who is thinking of me when they are scripting,” she jokes. We do ask her if she continues to be friends with Vivian Richards, Masaba’s father. She says, “Some questions are better left unanswered.”