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Neena Gupta's story of her wedding being called off as a young woman speaks of her strength in moving on from whatever happens.
Neena Gupta’s story of her wedding being called off as a young woman speaks of her strength in moving on from whatever happens.
Veteran actor Neena Gupta launched her autobiography Sach Kahun Toh recently in a virtual event with Kareena Kapoor.
During the delightful 30-minute conversation, Neena talked about several experiences which are featured in the book and defined her approach to life. She admitted being envious when seeing other people leading normal lives and opened up about the loneliness in her prime years.
Neena talked about the experience of her wedding being called off at the last minute. While shopping for the wedding, she received a phone call from her fiance who just said “I don’t want to marry you” without any explanation. She spoke about her wish to marry him, respect she had for his parents, and how shocking it was when all those dreams came crashing down unexpectedly.
It is a traumatic experience when the love you desired does not end in the marriage you wanted. “Whatever God gave me or wherever I went wrong accepted it and moved forward” says Neena. She clearly knew how to take things in stride and keep marching ahead and has built her life and career beautifully while raising her daughter as a single parent.
When a wedding is called off, the one person who is most affected is the bride.
I remembered the disturbing scene from Queen, when Kangana’s character shuts herself in a room surrounded by gifts, sweet boxes and wedding decor crying her heart out. But unlike the movie where the immediate family is in a state of shock and leaning on each other for support- not all families are kind to the bride.
The cruel inauspicious labeling, the barrage of comments from relatives and questions about future prospects of marriage start almost immediately- every card is stacked against the woman. Especially in the case of a love marriage gone wrong, the bride is more often blamed for her wrong choice and putting the family’s honour at stake.
But in reality, a wedding being called off is not a calamity of your life – especially when some relationships are just not worth getting into. Recently a 22-year old bride in Uttar Pradesh called off her wedding when the groom arrived drunk and forced her to dance before the jaimala ceremony. I appreciate the woman standing up for herself and voicing her opinion from the beginning of the relationship. Also the family supporting her sound decision is encouraging, which is what every woman needs instead of the blame game and victimization.
A called-off wedding is probably a small hurdle in a long race of life and needs to be considered that way. Such instances should be treated with utmost compassion in providing the necessary emotional support to the bride to let go and move on. Neena Gupta sets an example in facing life’s challenges and moving ahead without making a compromise.
Electrical engineer turned into Marketer. From heartland of Tamilnadu but almost Mumbaikaar. read more...
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Vidhya came home with Riya. She was surprised to see the same expectations from her that were before from having a child. Nothing had changed, and she felt that nothing would ever change.
Vidhya was just like any other normal girl who grew up reading Cinderella and Rapunzel, wishing to meet her Prince charming someday. Though not a topper, she scored well in school and college and fulfilled her parent’s dream by joining as HR in a reputed financial firm.
After she settled in her career path, her parents began their hunt to find the perfect groom and complete their responsibility in life. Finally, after seeking permission from the stars in her chart, they fixed her wedding with Rahul, who according to them, got a tick for most of their eligibility criteria. She obliged and got married to him as per their wish.
Unlike the earlier wives or girlfriends, Ms Sharma was already a celebrity with a huge following, before she got hitched. Why should peeps question now, when she shared her thoughts about one of the toughest times of their life?
Behind every successful woman, there is a ‘Kaam Waali Bai’ and a ‘Calm Waale Spouse’.
Similarly, behind every successful married man, there is a fabulous understanding woman. She could be the warm cuddler, a fierce tigress or someone who will hold the mirror to show the true picture.
Neena Gupta has won Best Actress for her work in The Last Colour, at Indian International Film Festival of Boston. The Last Colour spotlights the plight of widows in Varanasi through the friendship between a young girl and an older woman.
It was in 2017 that veteran actor Neena Gupta championed herself and asked for work in a short but impactful post on Instagram. Post this, she returned triumphantly to the big screen, winning the Critics Choice Award for Best Actor (Female) for her role in Badhaai Ho at the Star Screen Awards and at the Filmfare Awards, something that as she rightly points out, doesn’t generally happen for women her age.
Adding to her list of accomplishments, she has now received Best Actor for her role as a widow in The Last Colour, a movie directed by Michelin star chef Vikas Khanna, and based on his book of the same name.
Neena Gupta shares her terrifying childhood experiences of being molested - like most assault survivors who often go to great measures to minimise these incidents by remaining silent, she was scared to tell her parents.
Neena Gupta shares her terrifying childhood experiences of being molested – like most assault survivors who often go to great measures to minimise these incidents by remaining silent, she was scared to tell her parents.
Trigger warning: This deals with child sexual abuse and may be triggering for survivors.
Recently veteran actress Neena Gupta in her memoir Sach Kahun Toh detailed multiple incidents of being assaulted in her childhood. She also describes how she was terrified to tell her mother about these traumatic incidents.