Sach Kahun Toh: An Autobiography

by Neena Gupta

In Sach Kahun Toh, actor Neena Gupta chronicles her extraordinary personal and professional journey-from her childhood days in Delhi's Karol Bagh, through her time at the National School of Drama, to moving to Bombay in the 1980s and dealing with the struggles to find work. It details the big milestones in her life, her unconventional pregnancy and single parenthood, and a successful second innings in Bollywood. A candid, self-deprecating portrait of the person behind the persona, it talks about her life's many choices, battling stereotypes, then and now, and how she may not be as unconventional as people think her to be.

Genres: Autobiography, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Indian Literature

364 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 14, 2021

Reviews

[Geetanjali Chitnis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many, many thoughts on Neena Gupta’s autobiography ‘Sach Kahun Toh’ published by Penguin India. I sat up till 3 AM reading the book, and finished it in one sitting - I could almost hear her voice read out every word. She’s led an eventful life, but her candidness is not devoid of self-awareness. I don’t get a sense of any real bitterness or her holding on to grudges which is remarkable despite her clearly articulating incidents that left her hurt, vulnerable & betrayed (& no, not the ones you think these are).

Would she have survived cancel culture today? Perhaps not, and she’d probably be the first one to admit it. Her words, like her attitude, just flow easily. Sometimes seemingly uninhibited but fully aware of what she’s saying about others as well as herself. This book is juicy but not in a way that is damaging or disrespectful. I have to admit that on some occasions I tried really hard to identify people she mentioned (most names are changed) using the carefully worded details shared but let’s say she can’t be sued for defamation.

My only major grouse is the editing: there was a lot of repetition of entire lines/phrases/thoughts, and some inconsistencies in details like Masaba’s birthday: listed once as 2 Nov & once as 4 Nov 🤔 Anyway, I really enjoyed it and I’m glad she was so honest & engaging without letting melodrama get in the way. What comes out very strongly is true acceptance of the fact that human beings are never fully good or bad no matter what you think.

[Mahmudur Rahman · Rating 4 out of 5]

অন্য কোনো সূত্রে না হলেও নীনা গুপ্তাকে পঞ্চায়েত সিরিজের মঞ্জু দেবী হিসেবে এখনকার দর্শক চেনেন। আরো একটু যারা চেনেন, ফ্যাশন ডিজাইনার মাসাবা গুপ্তার মা হিসাবে চেনেন। আরো যারা চেনেন, তারা জানেন মাসাবা মূলত নীনা ও স্যার ভিভিয়ান রিচার্ডসের কন্যা। অভিনেত্রী নীনার জীবনের এই অংশটা অনেক মুখরোচক গল্পের জন্ম দিছিল। এখনো দেয়। তার জীবন নানা সময় ফ্যাশন ম্যাগাজিন ও বিনোদন সেকশনে মশলাদার করে পরিবেশন করা হয়েছিল। তিনিই জীবনের বড় অংশ পার করে এসে নিজের কথা লিখেছেন।

প্রায় পারফেক্ট একটা আত্মজীবনী। শুরু হয় ছেলেবেলা থেকে। ক্যারল বাগের দিনকাল, ছুটি কাটাতে শহর ছাড়া, থিয়েটারের দিনকাল থেকে ওটিটির যুগ পর্যন্ত নিজের গল্প বলেছেন নীনা। বাবা মা, ভাই, সহকর্মী, স্বামী, প্রেমিক সবার কথাই বলেছেন। সাফল্য, ব্যর্থতার কথা বলেছেন। পরিবারের একটা গোপন সত্যও তুলে ধরেছেন। তবে সযত্নে এড়িয়ে গেছেন ভিভিয়ানের সঙ্গে সম্পর্ক গড়ে ওঠা ও তার উত্থান পতনের হালখাতা। তবে সম্পর্কের বোঝাপড়াটা আছে।

নীনা মারদাঙা মহিলা, তার লেখা থেকে অনেক কিছু জানা যাবে বলিউডের গোপন ঝুলি থেকে; এমন ভাবলে একটু নিরাশ হতে হবে। নীনা দারুণ গুছিয়ে লিখেছেন। করোনার সময়টা তিনি ব্যয় করেছেন বইটি লিখতে। সত্যই লিখেছেন, বইয়ের নামের অনুসারে। পাঠক জানতে পারবেন কাস্টিং কাউচ থেকে শুরু করে হোটেলরুমে ম্যানিপুলেট করার ঘটনা, কিন্তু সেটা পেজ থ্রির মতো রগরগে না। সেই সঙ্গে বলিউডের হাড়ির খবর জানাও যায় কিন্তু নীনা যেহেতু পুরোপুরি মূল ধারার ছিলেন না, তাই বড় বড় স্টারদের আলাপও কম।

এতোকিছুর মধ্যে স্মৃতি আর ব্যক্তিগত বোঝাপড়ার এই বয়ান দারুণ সুখপাঠ্য, অস্বীকার করা যায় না।

[Rucha Patkar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book with a lot of hope and enthusiasm. I wanted to read about Neena Gupta - a woman ahead of her times, strong headed and a woman of substance. But the book was a disappointment. The writing is a bit too amateurish. Too many repetitions of sentences and incidences. Apart from the average writing, Neena Gupta has made herself sound excessively vulnerable. Autobiographies are supposed to be inspiring. This is far from that. I expected more from this one.

[Vidya · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Disclaimer*: I am a Neena Gupta fan and my review might be biased.

With Neena Gupta, I have felt for the longest time that what you see is what you get. Her book is certainly an extension of that - it flows beautifully and allows the reader glimpses into the life that she lived.

For all the hype around her relationship with Sir Vivian Richards, the book merely has a few pages dedicated to that phase of her life, and I thought that was amazing. There is so much more to her life than that one chapter.

She is a strong woman with her own set of flaws and in each page you get to see that. She isn't afraid of owning up to her mistakes either.

I enjoyed the read and if you, like me, are a fan, pick the book up.

[Sneha Narayan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It might seem ironic at first glance when I say this, but trust me it's not. To me, there's nothing like a celebrity autobiography to put in perspective what it means to be human.

I should probably write a longer blog about this, but really all I will end up saying in that is just this: when you see people whose life looks perfect, who look like they have it all, fail and struggle and cry and fall, it puts things into perspective. That life sucks for all of us. That the job fields are harsh, that parents often fail, that so often people we call friends can't be trusted. This is true for everyone, wherever you are in life.

I enjoyed this book. I always enjoy celebrity memoirs for this reason, anyway. And Neena Gupta's book is fun and real all the way through. Then you get to the last 5 chapters and you realise how much more real she has dared to get, and her stories tear your heart to bits. Plus, she keeps her language and style so simple, I simply inhaled this book in a matter of weeks, and that's something given what a slow reading I am.

[Sunidhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a beautiful book, to say the least. Although I felt that it was cut short and a lot of details were concealed in the main content, all became crystal clear towards the end when she dedicated chapters to each and every member of her family. I've admired Masaba Gupta since before she became THE Masaba Gupta. Was always curious about how she came to be, her inspirations, just how she gets the guts to pave her own path! Well.. she sure has it in her genes. Not just from her mother but from her grandmother too.

The book took me on a beautiful journey through the old times of Delhi, that's why an additional star as it resonated with me. Pick it up if you've followed Neena Gupta even before Badhaai Ho. Or even after. Her life journey is worth knowing.

Loved it :)

[Divya Dutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal favorite. I enjoyed each page of it because I have always loved her presence on screen and her personality.

[Sonam Dubey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had huge hopes with this book but it turned out to be a disappointment because ,
No. 1- Repetitive lines, incidents and emotions.
No. 2 - Too many regrets (Not being judgmental but could have been portrayed better).
No. 3- The book begins well but ending of the book could have been handled on a more positive note.

I am a reader who wants to feel good , energised after reading and if you are in the same genre then please stay away as I can associate melancholy with this book. I appreciate hard work which has been done on this book and the hardships of Neena Gupta, how she bravely conquered all the obstacles in her personal and professional life.

[Kamakshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as I had expected. Candid. Free flowing. I absolutely love. this kind of writing. Where you just become a part of the book and it just seems as if the author is sitting across you and telling your their life story. I finished it in one sitting. She had me hooked with her childhood experiences in Delhi. Having been brought up in delhi, I could totally relate to the summers, the terrace, the street treats, sugarcane juice. The best part about the book was that this was her story - everyone else was supporting cast. She didn’t demonise the industry or the people in the industry or the people in her personal for the sake of sympathy or publicity. She was honest and maintained throughout the book, that everything was a learning experience for her. I love her candour and I will always love her. She is an inspiration to so many women. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Vivek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hooter: An authentic and honest take on her own life journey

Neena Gupta's life has been condensed to the Vivian Richards and Masaba Gupta in popular media and her autobiography spares a couple of pages to that episode and focuses on all the other aspects that make Neena the respected role model that she is for so many Indians. She starts off really well as the Delhi girl , bhenji stereotype to as she moves on to Mumbai after her NSD stint.

Then it does get repetitive and she does highlight the same about her naivety as she is taken advantage of or left gullible in love, career and life. She talks about the struggles, the casting couch and her brush with film festivals in bite sized chapters with a very simple writing style.

The editing could have been way more crisper removing some of the repetitive material littered through the book and the end chapters fall into a timeline of shows and movies she has done - a slightly extended filmography.

It is an easy read with an authentic and honest take that Neena Gupta takes for herself focusing on the challenges any middle class individual would go through in a typical Indian city irrespective of career or industry.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is never easy to be honest about the account of one's life, let alone if you are a public figure which a few controversial accounts and decisions in life. Neena Gupta was even honest in acknowledging that a few of the incidents didn't even made a cut to this version so kudos to her for sharing her life, joys and fear with such simplicity and honestly.

After reading her account of things there are two main questions which haunts me:

1. Being an artist is the most difficult career choice as your sense of achievement / worth depends not on work but other's perception of your work. I agree it is true for any profession but comes out too stark in case of an artist.
Wouldn't it be amazing if you could do things you love just for yourself and get self validation. It's funny how few of us understand this and even fewer pursue this hence the prevailed miseries in our life.

Neena Gupta being a household name, winner of multiple national awards, someone who lived life on her own terms and yet gets validation for her life's worth from a filmfare award for a commercial film. It made me happy for her and almost broke my heart at the same time. How badly society has malignated our sense of self worth and how successful it has become in making us run and ruin our lives after things which truly does not matter. This is more of self reflection than judgement.

2. I also wondered about default definition of a happy family. I figured basic would be one where a child stays with both the family who truly dots after and take care of the kid. And the parents have amiable relationship with their families on both sides. I asked my husband what % of families in the world would actually pass this definition of a happy family and he said 30%. None of this is scientific but to think about it that most of us are coming from broken families in way or the other - what kind of world we live in.
Just in case you are from a happy family, just know how very fortunate you are.

[Aditi Varma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Week 34 Book 41
Sach Kahun Toh by Neena Gupta
Rating; 4/5

I was very excited to pick up this book. I've always admired Neena Gupta both as an actress as well as a person, based on whatever I know of her.

This is a very honest memoir by the actor. The language is very simple, confirming that it's not ghost written.

I liked the simplicity honesty and bravery of the lady in narrating her life. Her candour about her choices and mistakes makes her endearing.

Sometimes there are some repetitions. Sometimes there's a lot of back and forth in timelines between chapters. Also a lot of stuff is skipped or heavily censored. So if you're expecting juicy details, don't. I missed learning more about her acting experiences, in specific movies or shows that made her a household name. This book is more about her personal life than professional.

I did like how she gives genuine advice based on her life experiences without being preachy, and she breaks the fourth wall to talk directly to the reader. It was especially heartening to read this book as a woman. I also enjoyed reading about the 80s, about my hometown Delhi! A must read for all.

[Srijita Majumdar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truely speaking, I have always been the sponge absorbing this woman's water-smooth presence on-screen. Therefore, I became extremely intrigued when I came across her autobiography.

I took my time with this book, despite the very lucid language and an average length, desiring to soak in the impact and the ecstacy of every myriad experience she went through in her own life, her industry of work and in our very weirdly diverse society of ever-changing and ever-charging norms and opinions. I loved how she poured, literally Poured, her heart into this book, which emanated so much truth in it that it evidently became a best-friend consultant for me.
The extent of Humanity reflected in this book has the capacity to cheer up and push forth anyone who is undergoing a severe crisis scenario in their lives. Also, as a bonus, it helps you get a perspective on good literature, valuable on-screen content and sprinkles upon a very accomodating view of the value of Life as a journey, as a Mentor in itself.

Love you Neena ji!❤❤

[Maryann Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think one of the reasons I really enjoyed reading this book was because I really didn’t expect much from it. But I was pleasantly surprised as I found myself hooked to it as soon as I’d started reading. Neena Gupta draws you in gently as she introduces you to her life as a young girl from a middle-class family growing up in Delhi, to a Sanskrit scholar in Delhi University, to passionate student in NSD, to an exceptional actor who went on to win two National Awards. Gupta candidly talks about her struggles-personal, and professional, the mistakes she made along the way, and how she juggled being a single mother, while working a demanding twelve hour job as an actor in Bombay. I think one of the reasons I really loved this book was because Neena Gupta was never a “star”, she never got to be leading lady in a film, until very recently, and is a phenomenal actor who didn’t shy away from asking for work again after a long-ish break in her career. Sach Kahun Toh is a beautiful glimpse into the bittersweet life and career of a remarkable actor who after years of ups and downs has finally reached a place in her life where she is happy, and satisfied with all that she has achieved.

--

[Pratibha Jain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am quite perplexed about this book. I was really looking forward to reading Neena Gupta's autobiography. She has been in limelight for her unconventional choices and I wanted to read her perspective on this. After reading her book I think I do know more about her life but I think she hasn't delved much into the controversies and given her opinion. While the book was honest, I don't think it was the complete story. The timeline in the book also doesn't add up at a lot of places (for eg, she was born in 1959 and graduated out of NSD in 1980 after pursuing BA, MA, and MPhil) and sometimes it was difficult to place incidents. It could've been much better.

[Sahil Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

A breezy and delightful read.
One might start reading thinking the book will spell some 'truths' as suggested by the title (which it does in parts and very gracefully so) but you finish appreciating the 'Honesty' more than anything else.
Apart from just how freely she describes many of her personal and professional experiences, I loved how with so much care and attention she speaks about all the people involved in her journey, the negatives and the positives, family and otherwise.
Also loved the last part where she describes each person from her family with a tree and elaborates on their lives.

[Kadambari Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honest, Blunt...BEBAK is the right word actually.

It is her story and as open as it can be..her mistakes and the learnings she took from them and what she wants to pass onto the readers.

What I like the most is - this woman always stood on her own. She was never a rebel but she knew what she wanted and never settled for anything less. Self esteem, a good heart and genuine-ness, giving a 100% in everything that she did is what I want to imbibe and follow.

[Sapna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've come to recognize the significant value of books that offer reflections and advice, drawing from personal experiences, to help guide women in effectively managing both their careers and their relationships.

[Shilpa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super and bold book. It takes a lot of guts to write such a piece. Above all, loved to know more about such a fantastic actor.

[Swati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

One of the best autobiography book I have read . So beautifully written . She is a great story teller .

[Deepti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Candid

Very nice read. Someone who wears her heart on her sleeves. Hardworking. Life goes on despite all the troubles. How she dealt with various heartbreaking situations. Respect for the people in her life. Reminds you there is no age for your dreams and eventually it all works out well.

[Swagata Tarafdar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since the book was published last year, I knew that I had to read this book. Neena Gupta is a controversial actor. While we all know that she gave birth to her daughter out of wedlock, I wanted to read about her struggles as a single mother. She has written just a few lines about her controversial affair with Vivian Richards in the book. So while the 'juicy' tid-bits are missing, reading about her journey as a single mother was a pleasure. I have always admired her for her courage, but reading the book made me realize that the real Neena Gupta is sometimes as vulnerable as any ordinary woman. She has written, "Raising a baby without the father, however, is really really hard. It's possibly one of the hardest things any woman has to do."

She has not made any attempt to hide her relationships in the book. But what I loved best was her passion in whatever she did. Coming from a humble, middle-class family, she has succeeded in making a name for herself as an actor. There are lot of tips and advices for the newbie actors in the book. And some quotes just stayed with me long after I finished the book. I'd love to share few such quotes here.

"If you are such a person, who genuinely wants to be liked and make everyone happy, please know that the only person you can make yourself happy is yourself. If you want to please everyone in the room, you're doomed."

"I want to ask my daughter countless times: What do you want from life? A career? Kids? Both? But I feel, in the end, regardless of what she chooses, the only thing that matters is that she has high self-esteem. That she loves herself and knows what she's worth. That she respects herself enough to not chase after other people's acceptance."

[Sneha Chavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing is so simple and that is the plus point of this book. You can't keep this book aside once you start. The only thing felt dull was the last section of this book, felt repetitive.
Best wishes!

[Priya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very candidly narrated story of someone whose onscreen and offscreen personas I have admired.
If you have, like me, grown up in India in the 80s and 90s watching Doordarshan shows in particular, this will be a walk down memory lane because Neena Gupta talks about many of the ones she was a part of.

Saans was the show in which I liked her best because of the dignity of her character even when faced with so much sadness. At the outset, she makes it clear that this book is not going to revolve around the most known part of her life - her affair with Vivian Richards who is the father of her daughter Masaba, though she does talk about it because it changed the course of her life. There is a lot to her besides this though and that is what she has conveyed.

From her idyllic childhood in Delhi to her National School of drama days, her foray into theatre, television and films, her early marriage and divorce and the many roles she has played in her career,Neena voices her story very frankly. She talks about the acting profession as it was then, the difficulties associated with it, her own efforts which have won her two National awards and all the people, friends and foes she met along the way. Names have been changed in some of the stories, the reason for which she mentions in the book.

For me, the best part of the book was the way in which she speaks about how different she is from the image of her that is publicly projected. Seen as unconventional and bold for choosing to be a single mother at a time and place when this was practically unheard of, she lays bare the practical, emotional and financial realities of her decision and talks about the self doubt and loneliness her decision brought about while clarifying that she has no regrets about it. Her love for and pride in her daughter shines through very clearly indeed.

It's interesting to read the behind the scenes accounts of the many shows she did including Khandaan,Mirza Ghalib,Yatra, The sword of Tipu Sultan etc which are all familiar names. It's heartening to see the resurgence in her career over the last few years. She comes across as a person who didn't let fear rule her but found solutions to problems and overcame them. That's where her true boldness seems to lie.

[Saraswathi Sambasivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, simple and straight from the heart! A woman who has lived life on her terms! Absolutely loved it !!

[Trupti Thakur · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book lives up to its title. Such a strong headed woman. It makes you realise that success can come anytime, irrespective of your age

[Sameer Gudhate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll tell you where I was when I opened Sach Kahun Toh. Midnight. Rain outside. My bedside lamp spilling that warm amber glow across the pages. And almost instantly, it felt less like I was reading a book and more like Neena Gupta herself had pulled up a chair across the table and begun to talk. Not with the guardedness of a celebrity, not with the practiced diplomacy of someone used to cameras, but with the unfiltered honesty of a woman who has lived, erred, stumbled, risen, and finally found the courage to bare it all.

Neena Gupta is no stranger to reinvention. For many, she’s the “Badhaai Ho” mom, for others the chic mother of designer Masaba Gupta, and for an older generation she is that fiery performer from the parallel cinema era. But in these pages, she strips away every convenient label. She is the girl from Karol Bagh, the restless NSD student, the single mother navigating a world that wasn’t ready for her choices, and the actress who dared to keep showing up even when the doors of the industry slammed shut. What makes this book unique isn’t just her life—it’s the manner in which she chooses to tell it: unadorned, witty, and heartbreakingly self-aware.

Reading it feels like being swept through decades of Indian cinema and society. She doesn’t offer a chronological laundry list of roles or events. Instead, she picks moments—the awkwardness of early auditions, the suffocating loneliness of Bombay in the ’80s, the sting of rejection after “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai,” the sheer terror of financial insecurity while carrying her child—that expand into entire worlds. Each chapter is a window, and through it you glimpse not only her life but the industry’s fault lines, the gendered double standards, and the brutal truth that awards and applause rarely pay the rent.

Her writing style is deceptively simple. Short sentences that cut like glass. Longer passages that flow like gossip exchanged over chai, punctuated with pauses where you can almost hear her sigh or chuckle. There is no melodrama, no heavy-handed self-justification. She speaks of her mistakes—wrong relationships, bad career choices, misplaced trust—with the ease of someone who has finally made peace with them. That candor makes her voice irresistible.

One image refuse to leave me: Neena, seven months pregnant, performing dance numbers to keep the money coming in, terrified each risky step could lead to miscarriage, yet pushing on because she needed savings for a possible C-section. It’s the kind of scene that rattles you out of any illusions about glamour. Behind the shimmer lies sweat, sacrifice, and a fierce maternal instinct. Reading it, I couldn’t help comparing her reality with today’s corporate maternity policies. The contrast is brutal, but it reminds you how unevenly the world distributes safety nets.

The book is packed with such moments. A National Award that brings no work. Friends who turn out to be fleeting. A limousine that arrives to ferry stars to a glittering awards night, only to disappear once the lights go off, leaving them to lug their own suitcases. Shashi Kapoor’s line—“we often go to the big events as style icons and come back home as peasants”—lingers like smoke in the air. It encapsulates not just the industry but life itself: how quickly the world strips away its borrowed sheen.


And yet, for all the struggle, this isn’t a bitter book. What radiates through is resilience. Neena Gupta never paints herself as a martyr. She is flawed, funny, sometimes naïve, sometimes shrewd, but always achingly human. That humanity is her strength. It makes her not just a survivor of the industry but a storyteller whose voice deserves to be heard beyond the screen.

If I have a quibble, it’s with the editing—occasional repetitions, some inconsistencies, little details that could have been sharper. But in a strange way, even those imperfections mirror Neena’s own journey: unpolished, messy, and all the more real because of it.

Closing the book at 3 AM, I wasn’t thinking of Neena Gupta the star. I was thinking of Neena the woman—daughter, mother, friend, fighter. Her story reminded me that we all carry our bruises quietly, that fame doesn’t immunize anyone from loneliness or fear, and that courage often looks less like grand victories and more like showing up, again and again, when the odds are stacked against you.

If you’ve ever looked at the glossy faces on screen and wondered about the storms that brew behind them, this book is for you. Read it slowly or devour it in one sitting—but read it. Because Sach Kahun Toh isn’t just an autobiography. It’s a reminder that every ordinary life, when told with honesty, becomes extraordinary.

[Sanchi Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sach kahun toh ..so much of the sach had to be concealed that I wanted to say ... Thoda so toh bol do !

In the start, where Neena ji is talking about the games like kho khi , chupan chupai .. I was taken back to my own childhood ..days ..I guess we all did. Making us so humble wrt today's era .. where kids are glued to their gadgets and hi tech toys ..

And then in the book she talks about the challenges of unawareness regarding hitting puberty and lack of sex ed . Like in earlier times kids used to think ..a single kiss could impregnate them ...I used to think that too 🙈
Then she talks about abuse ..and I feel yes ..it's changing now ..we are teaching our 3 yrs old ..about good and bad touch .. which wasn't the case earlier ..the worst part ... I feel was .. if somebody has abused us ..be it a tailor or a doctor or anyone we know (a relative) ..we couldn't tell our parents ... Coz the first thing we know they would do is ..curb our freedom
Further she talks about the language English and the struggles that comes with not knowing it . people are still facing those issues..being typecast and judged and not being considered intelligent enough coz they can't articulate proper sentences .
In the Vivian Richards chapter , she doesn't go in details ..I felt something was lacking there .
Just like in so many chapters , she changes the name out of respect for their children .. I belive it makes it less of an autobiography.
Another thing being with a married man and having his child ...out of wedlock that too with a married man . Ughh! Call me an old school , but that is something I can't believe was right. That was morally incorrect . Don't get me wrong , I commend that she was brave enough to be a single parent but like she said
"Gossip around her personal life overshadowed her professional life " ..I feel it's still the same ..be it a person from media or a nobody . Their accomplishments and struggles are forgotten but their scandals are never .
Her Instagram post. .which started her second innings ..is the main reason I picked up this book ... Raw , honest and without self doubt.

So , I'm writing this review as I read along !
The chapter on shakuntala devi, her mother was like the last piece of puzzle for me .. because now I can see .. why and how Neena Gupta was ..who she was and her choices in men .
Many a times "in my personal opinion : women make wrong choices in men coz of either lack of father figure or not the right person as their father "
Her father living the double life and why he couldn't stand up to his father and In the process damaging so many lives .

To summarise, I was a bit disappointed coz as much as I thought who Neena ji was esp after her insta post this book was amature writing at its best . The book goes into too much detailing about her work life and goes above and beyond in concealing the names of people who wronged her . And there are repetitions of sentences as well .and it lacked depth and vulnerability of a woman of such candor.

[Brinda Narayan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neena Gupta, at the age of 62, after winning two National awards and essaying several memorable television and film roles – including the iconic Ketaki in Khandaan – had put this message out on Instagram, addressing her 11,000 followers: ““I live in mumbai and working am a good actor looking fr good parts to play.” She acknowledges in her enchantingly candid memoir, Sach Kahun Toh, that it was an impulsive decision. Quickly typed out, in a swirl of thoughts and feelings, the spelling and syntax may have betrayed her fluster.

Soon after hitting the “Post” button, she experienced pangs of remorse. With the post going viral, with friends and fans responding with affirmative reposts or ringing endorsements, her heart continued to palpitate. She was afraid that she might have embarrassed the one person whose opinion mattered to her deeply – her daughter Masaba. “I can’t believe you did this, Mom,” Neena imagined her saying.

But Neena need not have fretted. Her daughter, after all, bore her traits: plucky, high-spirited, with a bemused outlook on her own life. Masaba’s Instagram response was swift and heartfelt: “Just the other day I was telling someone…how I am never afraid/shy to ask for work. It’s obviously genetic. My mother put up this post on her Instagram today. I mean, my 62-year-old national award winning mother. She told me I must always work…no matter what…it keeps you from getting old…she told me they don’t write for women her age anymore…she complains she can’t do PR…”

Fortunately, not just for Neena, but for all middle-aged Indians who might be seeking new opportunities and second, third or fourth chances, the appeal worked. Soon the offers came flooding in. And not just for sidelined bit-characters but for lead roles. One of the big breaks that came her way was Badhaai Ho – about a middle-aged parent who gets pregnant, creating a comic furor inside the family. The film led to her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress: “Not supporting actress. BEST ACTRESS. I was so thrilled! It was the first time I truly started to wonder if my age wasn’t a drawback after all…”

That role, in turn, led to several other interesting ones, including the web series Panchayat and Vikas Khanna’s The Last Color. Showing the nation and the world, that however well-known and celebrated you may already be, you should never be shy about putting yourself out, or revealing your interest in new jobs or fresh opportunities.

But that’s not the only lesson one draws from Neena’s book, which recounts her emergence from a lower-middle-class Delhi family into the cut-throat and competitive jostles that undergird Mumbai’s film industry.

To read more,
https://brindasnarayan.com/neenagupta/

[Nidhi Srivastava · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit that reading this autobiography has been on my TBR. I failed to procure a first-hand copy of this book. When Bahrisons Booksellers released an Instagram post showcasing autographed copy of this book, I was excited. But, I was late to the party and missed procuring an author-signed copy of this book. I finished reading this book yesterday night. I have been a fan of Neena Gupta, right from the movie Badhaai Ho. I have loved her in the Amazon series - Panchayat, along the side of Raghubir Yadav and Jitendra Kumar (aka Jeetu). Coming back to this book, it is one of the honest ways an actor could have communicated their life story to the world. At the beginning of the book, the author narrated stories from her childhood. She mentioned in the middle of one chapter - "I know there’s a part of you that only picked up this book to read about my relationships and the controversies that have been part of my media image for decades now." She has defined her roots in the book ranging from her early marriage to her family details. The book seems an actual narration from the actress, and she had her struggles everywhere. I remember she was a face in the television industry, but I had no idea she was a hottie in the film industry back those days. It was phenomenal how Neena Ji has described her friends in the industry who helped her during pregnancy. If you aren't her fan to date, you will be a fan after reading this book. Throughout the whole book, she has not bad-mouthed anyone ranging from the press, editors, co-workers, or even family. She has been generous to everyone in her autobiography. The most heartbreaking part of the book was where Masaba's birth certificate was out in the press. Everyone must be treated as a human being first, irrespective of their profession. Do you think the press had any right to publish Masaba's birth certificate? So, what if she is the daughter of Vivian Richards? The book is the answer to many questions people had about Neena Gupta. No one's family is perfect and it takes a lot of courage to come out in public about it. Yes, Neena Gupta is a phenomenal actress and she is breaking all stereotypes at this age.