'When It Happened To Me, I Was Shocked'

'I have had my share of unpleasant situations being a woman, like so many other actors have gone through.' 'I took it in my stride because I knew it would happen.' 'What saved me was what my mother used to say: Education.'

Although the feisty Neena Gupta, who has just won a National Award for her film, Uunchai, worked with the best of directors in the early part of her career, she feels accepting small parts was a mistake.

"I have worked with Shyam Benegal, Kundan Shah and many film-makers but at that time, I got only smaller roles. I never got the main role, the leading lady. So I was always frustrated. I used to think I am more capable, I am quite good looking, so why wasn't I get it? But everywhere, it's the same thing," Neena Gupta tells Subhash K Jha.

"Film-making is a business, whatever sells, they take that. It's your market value because every film-maker has to have a financier. You have a good market value, then you get the leading part.

"I think the mistake I made was that I settled for smaller parts because one was desperate for work. So I was labelled a supporting actor. That changed with Badhaai Ho, but it took a long, long, time. I had a very good phase on television during Saans. I produced, directed, acted and did a variety of roles. I got good money also. But again, at that time, TV was smaller than films."

This, Neena feels, has changed now.

"All the big film-makers are going to the OTT platforms, actors are working on the OTT platforms now. But in my time, when I entered here, it was only films. It was a very difficult phase.

"Today's actors are lucky, as they have so many platforms. Film-making has also changed because of OTT platforms. Writers and directors are experimenting with newer subjects. You don't need a star for your project to be a hit. The best example is Panchayat. If the content is good, people will love it.

"We should stop thinking that people don't understand. The public understands everything. You give them something good, they will appreciate it. Writing is the most important part of any project. I think Panchayat has surpassed the level of writing. That's one reason why it is such a big hit."