Book Review Sach Kahun Toh

Neena Gupta..a name that evokes so many images of an actor, a woman,a mother. 

This is her autobiography. 

Thankfully, the book steers clear of mere sensationalism and as I expected and hoped for,gives a glimpse of the person Neena Gupta.

I remembered Neena Gupta from old Shyam Benegal movies and a few DD shows. She was never the star in any of these. I also remember her playing a vamp in a few Indian movies. She never really was allowed scope to leave a strong impression on us as the audience.

I never really cared much about her till the news of her being an unwed but proud mother came to the fore. That was some news and definitely left an impression!

Then life went on as usual barring an exceptional TV show called Saans. Those were the pre Ekta Kapoor days when one could expect some plotline and commendable performances on TV.

After this, she again disappeared from the horizon for a long time.

And as usual, the audience completely forgot about her. Ageing actor fit only for motherly parts. But boy,was there a surprise in the offing!!

Along came Badhai Ho! Need I say more!!

It opened our eyes to a Neena Gupta who was actually the lead in a Hindi film!! Something she had dreamt of her whole life! 

She played a mother alright..but a pregnant mother of two grown sons expecting in her late 40s. The idea seems outrageous now. But about 20 years back it was a perfectly normal thing to happen.

I will not digress and elaborate on the movie, which was a fun entertainer. But instead talk about how it revealed the Neena Gupta I now know as an actress. Gently persuasive, nuanced and simple at same time. She has grasped this fine balance so well that I look forward to everything she is doing. Even her ads!!

This book came to me via Amazon. I was in two minds about buying her book. I do not want to dip into people's personal lives at all. But I really wanted to know where she grew up and how was life back then. How people interacted and spoke in the radio days. A time when my own mother was a young girl. Maybe I was looking for a slice of life from those days.

 And I am happy to tell you, that I was not let down. Her words filled me with a fragrance of the balmy days of my mother's youth. 

She tells as frankly as she can,given the legalities of using real names, the story of how she grew up and became an ambitious young woman. 

Also I wanted to know of her experiences in her life. The mistakes she committed and the lessons she learnt. She even gives jaruri gyan to us girls like a mother would to her children. It endeared her more to me and made her more human and simpler to understand. 

Would recommend the book to all since Neena Gupta's autobiography is the only story where the heroine makes a successful comeback in her 60s. That in itself should be a compelling reason to read the book.

Nobody has been able to do that yet I guess. And it fills one with hope and courage for what the future holds.