Veteran actress Neena Gupta recently opened up about an uncomfortable moment from the shoot of the iconic song Choli Ke Peeche from the 1993 film Khal Nayak, directed by Subhash Ghai.
The film, which starred Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt, and Jackie Shroff, featured Neena in the popular dance number that remains widely remembered.
“I Felt It Was Inappropriate”
Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, the 66-year-old actress recalled being asked to wear a padded bra during the filming of the song to “appear fuller.” She shared that the director conveyed this instruction to the costume designer while she was present, which left her feeling upset at the time.
“At that time, I felt very angry and thought it was inappropriate to say something like that,” Neena said. However, she added that with time and experience, her perspective has evolved. “Now I feel he was just doing his job. He had a certain image in mind for the character in the song, and he expressed it plainly. I was new then, today I understand it differently,” she explained.
On Age Gap Casting In Films
Neena also addressed the common trend of older male actors being cast opposite much younger actresses, noting that the reverse is rarely seen in the industry. According to her, this imbalance reflects broader societal norms.
“Our society accepts a 60-year-old man marrying a 20-year-old woman, but the opposite isn’t acceptable. Films reflect what already exists in society,” she said.
Work Front
Neena was last seen in Vadh 2, alongside Sanjay Mishra. The film premiered at the International Film Festival of India in Goa last year and is set to stream on Netflix following its theatrical release.