Neena Gupta's book Sach Kahun Toh was launched on 14 June by actor Kareena Kapoor Khan. During a candid conversation, Neena revealed details about her book and shared hints about stories that she chose to include. She also talked about the reason for not using people's names in her book, calling it a 'blind item'.
Kareena and Neena discussed the way the Badhaai Ho actor talked about relationships in the book, especially her relationship with her parents. In that context, Neena revealed that she wouldn't have written the book if her parents were alive.
When Kareena asked if Neena was afraid of judgement after the book's release, Neena revealed, "Nobody knew about my dad and my mom. I wouldn’t have written this if they were live because my mother suffered her whole life to hide those things. It used to bother me sometimes that people could say, 'Oh, this is why she's like this.' Now I'm appreciated for my work. My husband and my daughter love me so I'm beyond that now."
Neena also said that the lockdown compelled her to finally sit down and finish the book. "I have been writing it for the past 20 years. I would start and think 'What is there to write about my life?' or 'What would people want to read about my life?' and then the lockdown happened," she said.
She further added, "And I am here in my beautiful Mukteshwar house in the mountains. My husband and I were here in the lockdown and I was thinking about my life, I was thinking what have I done and what is going to happen now. There was a lot of thinking going on and I said 'Okay, I'll get to write my book'."
"Number 1, everything is out of my system now; things I was hiding for so many years is all out so that’s a big release. I feel like even if one person doesn’t make the same mistakes I did, after reading my book, it's worth it."Neena Gupta, Actor
Neena also revealed that she was on the verge of marrying a man who called off the wedding at the 'last minute'. Adding that she still doesn't know the reason for that, she said, "That happened. But what can I do? I moved on. I would have loved to get married to him. I had a lot of respect for his father, mother. I was living in their house. He's going to read, he's alive, he's happily married. He has children."
"I used to tell Masaba, my book's name should be 'blind item'. You know, the blind item that comes in the papers and you have to guess who it is. So, my book has become a 'blind item' because the lawyer said that I have to change the names."Neena Gupta on changing names in her book 'Sach Kahun Toh'
On a personal note, she added, "Some names I didn’t want to mention because their children and grandchildren are there and I don't think they'd want to read anything bad about the person."
Kareena referred to an anecdote wherein Neena believes that daughter Masaba saved her life, and vice versa.
Neena recounted the traumatic experience during the chat. "It was a traumatic experience. They (the makers) were doing my wedding scene. Masaba was one-and-a-half years old. That day, Masaba had a little fever. So, I didn’t take her along on the sets," she started.
She further said, "But later, in the afternoon, I sent back my car and I got her to the shoot. At that time, I was feeding her in between the shoot. I sneaked out of the studio. I reached my room. I picked up Masaba and I heard a blast. When I came out, I saw a light-man coming towards me. I was outside my make-up room. He was on fire."
"He called me to help. I remember I said, ‘how can I help when I have a child with me.’ That is what came out of my mouth. They took me to the main building where we had the office. We were sent home. It was too traumatic. Even now, when I think about it, I wonder how I got saved."Neena Gupta to Kareena Kapoor Khan
Neena's book Sach Kahun Toh will address her life as a single mother, her career as an actor, and her family. It'll also take readers on a journey from Neena's time at the National School of Drama (NSD) to her move to Mumbai in the 80s.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)