Exclusive! Neena Gupta: I learn a lot from Masaba

The actress plays the female protagonist in Shiv Shastri Balboa along with Anupam Kher

Neena Gupta with her daughter Masaba

Whether it is her small, yet impactful stint in Indian television as a director and actor with shows like Saans, Siski, Kyun Hota Hai Pyarrr; winning a National Award for supporting actress for Woh Chokri; or making a comeback like none other as a heroine in Badhaai Ho -- 59-year-old Neena Gupta is a class apart.

She had three releases last year, and her latest is Shiv Shastri Balboa. So, how has the veteran actress found a way to bridge the gap between different generations?

In a special conversation with OTTplay, Neena said, "There was an interesting thing a friend of mine told me once, which I follow. It is that when we were younger, we used to sit with the elderly and more experienced people to listen to their stories. As we grow older, we should surround ourselves with younger people, because they are the tomorrow. I really find that is one of the best ways to bridge the generation gap. That way, I have learnt the best things from Masaba (her daughter, who is a celebrated fashion designer and actress)."

However, Neena says that when she was young, her life itself was the biggest adventure and entertainment for her.

She said, "Ek to social media wali distraction nahi thi, toh hum bahut observant hote the. This eventually became a powerful tool for us in acting. Also, my life was so much about the struggle at every step that after a point, how to get work and solve problems became entertainment in itself! We used to have real interactions and conversation when we would go to art exhibitions, film festivals or theatres. All of that would consume your mind and for those many hours, you would forget about your struggle."

"Of course, I love social media, the new generation, and the way they function, but I think I am from the generation that learned to live fully in the moment," Neena added.

Shiv Shastri Balboa is directed by Ajayan Venugopalan and produced by Kishore Varieth. It also stars Jugal Hansraj, Anil Joseph and Alison Corriere, and is currently in theatres.

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