Neena Gupta spills the beans: ‘Sabko award ka bhook hota hai’

Arrey bhai, kya boloon? Our very own Neena Gupta has bagged yet another National Award, and it only took her 30 years to do it again! Wah, kya baat hai! This time, she’s been crowned Best Supporting Actress for her stellar role as Shabina Siddiqui in the 2022 flick "Uunchai." Yeh toh sach mein kamaal ki baat hai!

So, I had the pleasure of catching up with Neena ji, and when I asked her if she still craves awards like a kid craves candy, she was as candid as ever. “Har aadmi greedy hota hai awards ke liye. Jab nahi milta to dukh hota hai thodi der ke liye, uske baad main bhool jaati hun aur sochti hu ki kaam karte raho, kabhi na kabhi to milega. Appreciation se, aur jab aapko award milta hai, bohot acha lagta hai.” In simpler terms, she’s saying, "Everyone wants awards. When you don’t get one, it stings a bit, but then you get over it and keep working hard. Eventually, recognition will come your way. And trust me, it feels amazing when it does!"

Can you believe this is her third National Award? The first one was way back in 1993 for "Bazar Sitaram," and then she snatched another one in 1994 for "Woh Chokri." Talk about a hat-trick! 🎉

Neena ji, ever the philosopher, asks, “What do you work for?” Then she answers her own question, “You work for people to appreciate you, otherwise why would you work so much. I don’t want to do a play in my drawing room; I want more and more people to see me and appreciate me. This award makes me feel good that ‘ok, keep on working hard, if not today then tomorrow you will get the fruit’. It keeps on encouraging me to keep on doing good work.”

Unlike the usual Bollywood stars who thank everyone from their makeup artist to their dog walker, Neena ji dedicates this win solely to herself. She explains, “Every work is fickle these days. There is a lot of competition, there are a lot of hurdles, and you feel dejected sometimes. Sometimes your film is not released, and you feel very frustrated and sad, so what you have to do is tell yourself that ‘ok forget it. I will keep on doing my work. Someday, somebody will recognise it.’ So it is me and me only who has to go through all this.”

Throwback to her NSD (National School of Drama) days, Neena ji recalls a pivotal lesson from a play: "Har kisi ko apne daant ka dard khud hi sehna padta hai." Translation? "Everyone has to bear their own pain. Others can just sit with you, but the pain is yours to endure." Now, isn’t that some solid gyaan? 🙏

Kiran’s Gyan:
Bollywood mein sab kuch milta hai, lekin sabr rakhna padta hai. Neena ji proves that sometimes, the journey is as important as the destination. So, my Bollywood dreamers, keep hustling, and maybe one day, you’ll get your well-deserved National Award too! 🌟