Making Men Priority Was A Big Mistake: Neena Gupta
Her on-screen characters challenged social norms but in real life Neena Gupta says men became a priority and her focus shifted from career to finding the right partner.
Badhaai
Ho
Actress
Neena
Gupta
opens
up
on
MeToo
movement
|
FilmiBeat
Her
on-screen
characters
challenged
social
norms
but
in
real
life
Neena
Gupta
says
men
became
a
priority
and
her
focus
shifted
from
career
to
finding
the
right
partner.
The
64-year-old
actor,
who
is
known
for
her
performance
in
TV
shows
such
as
"Khandaan",
"Bharat
Ek
Khoj" and
"Saans"
and
movies
like
"Woh
Chokri",
"Gandhi"
and
"Muhafiz",
says
her
desire
to
have
a
healthy
relationship
diverted
her
attention
from
work.
"I
always
wanted
to
do
good
work
and
play
strong
parts.
But
when
I
look
back
now,
I
feel
men
became
my
priority
and
it
was
a
big
mistake.
My
focus
shifted
from
career
to
finding
the
right
man.
Men
should
never
be
the
prime
focus
of
women's
life," Gupta
told
PTI.
"I
was
doing
really
well.
I
was
writing,
directing
and
producing
some
great
things
on
television.
What
I
went
through
in
personal
life
had
a
big
impression
on
my
professional
choices," she
added.
The
veteran
actor
believes
women
are
conditioned
to
keep
their
relationships
above
their
personal
goals.
"As
women,
we
always
crave
for
family
and
a
loving
partner
and
in
our
quest
to
find
that
happy
space
we
overlook
a
lot
of
things.
I
now
understand
I
should
have
prioritised
things
better."
Gupta
said
it
is
still
hard
for
women
to
have
a
life
they
aspire
to
and
be
with
a
man
who
treats
them
as
an
individual.
"It
is
close
to
impossible
to
find
a
man
who
can
bear
with
a
woman,
who
is
a
notch
above
or
equal
to
him.
Such
men
are
still
not
there
in
this
world.
It
is
like
we
will
always
be
facing
trouble
in
our
lives.
"If
we
act
strong
it
is
a
problem,
and
if
we
don't
it
is
a
problem.
I
don't
know
if
any
woman
is
completely
happy
with
the
way
she
leads
her
life
or
with
the
way
people
treat
her,"
she
added.
The
actor,
however,
believes
#MeToo
movement
in
India
will
change
the
status
quo.
"#MeToo
has
shaken
the
whole
industry.
But
the
sad
part
is
that
it
is
so
hard
to
prove
such
incidents.
I
have
been
on
my
own
for
the
longest
time
and
have
faced
a
lot
of
such
incidents
during
my
days
in
college,
National
School
of
Drama.
I
don't
know
how
we
can
get
a
proof
of
a
person
groping
us
or
touching
us
inappropriately.
All
we
could
do
at
that
time
was
get
used
to
it
or
try
our
best
to
avoid
it,"
she
said.
Gupta
hopes
the
movement
will
probably
instill
some
fear
in
people
who
abuse
their
power.
"I
am
hopeful
that
some
change
will
come.
The
movement
will
be
able
to
instill
some
fear.
But
it
will
take
time."
The
actor,
who
will
next
be
seen
in
"Badhaai
Ho",
said
to
change
the
way
men
treat
women,
society,
especially
mothers,
need
to
get
rid
of
the
patriarchal
mindset.
"Men
can
only
change
if
they
are
taught
right
things
by
their
mothers.
I
hope
the
coming
generations
of
men
will
be
much
more
sensitive
towards
women.
Sadly
mothers
of
my
age
still
have
the
same
patriarchal
mindset."
Badhaai
Ho
is
directed
by
Amit
Sharma
and
also
featuring
Ayushmann
Khurrana,
Sanya
Malhotra,
Gajraj
Rao.
PTI