Neena Gupta has always been a go-getter. In an interview with Rediff, she had revealed that she was close to accepting a job at Taj Hotels when Star Plus approved her show Saans. That's what determination looks like. She is not only a person who never wanted to conform to industry traditions or beliefs, but she is also outspoken, brave and so damn inspiring. Her interviews are as much fun as her performances in movies. Many have woken up to her talent after watching content like Badhaai Ho but this woman has been consistently doing good roles.  Neena Gupta Reveals That Rohit Shetty Did Not Inform Her About Removal From Akshay Kumar’s Sooryavanshi

You didn't see her in commercial movies much as Gupta never found the roles interesting enough. We don't blame her. Roles for heroines aren't meaty either, so we are pretty sure she didn't miss much. But given the fact that a lot of you aren't aware of her movies, here's a quick recap of seven of her performances that are our favourites.

Mandi (1983) - Basanti

It's very easy to get dwarfed by the likes of Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah and others but Neena Gupta as Basanti managed to shine. She coveted the preferential treatment Zeenat, played by Patil, received in the film while also wanting to perform Kathak on a bigger platform. All that was brought alive so well that in the crowd of some best acting greats Indian cinema has ever seen, Gupta stands out with her sharp performance.

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron (1983) - Priya

There's nothing that we don't like about JBDY and so, we love Priya as well. The willy secretary of the devious Pankaj Kapur (Taneja) is so fresh in our minds even today. Do mark her expressions... they spoke volumes about what this actress can probably do.

Suraj Ka Satvaan Ghoda (1992) - Satti

At times we feel like giving Doordarshan, a warm hug for introducing us to the incredible cinematic gems like this movie because till today, it remains the only channel who believed in educating its audience. Neena Gupta played one of the three women in the film directed by Shyam Benegal. Her free-spirited soap selling turn that hides an eventuality she is dreading explains the irony of the character's life in the movie beautifully.

Woh Chokri (1993) - Geeta Devi 

She won the National Film Award for best-supporting actress for this film. That should be enough to tell you how brilliant she was in the movie but we would still elaborate. Playing a widow who gets into a live-in relationship with a man and even has his child was so unheard of in those days. That was the beauty of the parallel cinema. Society used to get proper representation in movies and actors like Neena Gupta used to make it even better by working in them.

Saans (1998-1999) - Priya

Gupta has always mentioned Television has been very dear to her as she has done some really good work there. Saans was one of her crowning jewels which she wrote and directed. She plays Priya, who is abandoned by her husband after he falls for another woman. Gupta transitions from a broken wife to a determined woman in the course of the series and all of that happens seamlessly.

Badhaai Ho (2018) - Priyamvada Kaushik

Neena Gupta played a mother whose life is rocked by an unplanned pregnancy in middle-age. She plays a coy wife who is shocked by what happened as much as her adult son. The innocence with which she deals with it and her scenes with her husband makes it such a fantastic watch.  Neena Gupta Recalls a Funny Encounter with a Tamilian Airline Staff Member Who Gave a Perfect Reply on Why She Didn’t Watch Badhaai Ho Yet

Panchaayat (2020) - Pradhan Patni

Yes, her scenes are sporadic but she lights up every moment she is in the frame. It's amazing how this woman has no inhibition about the medium she is acting for. Be it movies or TV or web shows, she just can't help but be excellent in her job.

 

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 04, 2020 08:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).