Actor Neena Gupta, in her tell-all autobiography titled Sach Kahun Toh revealed that actor and her good friend, Satish Kaushik had offered to marry her when she was pregnant with Masaba Gupta. Neena raised Masaba as a single mother after she separated from former cricketer Sir Viv Richards in the 1980s.
In a recent interview, Satish talked about the incident and revealed that he offered to marry her because he didn't want her to 'feel alone'. He added that the proposal came from a place of fondness for an old friend.
“I used to appreciate the fact that a girl at that time decided to have a child out of wedlock. As a true friend, I simply stood by her and gave her confidence. Whatever you are reading in the memoir, it was all an expression of my affection for her as a friend. I was concerned about not letting her feel alone," he told Bombay Times.
"At the end of the day, that’s what friends are for, right? As mentioned in the book, when I offered to marry her, it was a mix of humour, concern, respect, and support for my best friend in her time of need,” he added.
Satish said that Neena was overcome by emotion after the offer and was moved to tears.
“I told her, ‘Main hoon na, tu chinta kyu karti hai (I am here for you, you don’t have to worry)’. She was moved by the gesture and was in tears. From that day onwards, our friendship grew stronger."Satish Kaushik to Bombay Times
Satish and Neena were together at the Delhi University and he recalls that Neena (who he fondly calls Nancy) made a huge impression on everyone, "She impressed everyone even then — with her views and the way she carried herself. She later joined NSD, a couple of years after me. We struggled in our respective ways to make a mark in the film industry."
"I used to appreciate the fact that a girl at that time decided to have a child out of wedlock. As a true friend, I simply stood by her and gave her confidence. As mentioned in the book, when I offered to marry her, it was a mix of humour, concern, respect, and support for my best friend in her time of need."Satish Kaushik, Actor, to Bombay Times
Neena Gupta's recently released autobiography Sach Kahun Toh details her life experiences including her time in Mumbai as a new actor, her journey as a single mother, and her relationship with her parents.
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