'Do Anything To Earn Money...You Will Have To Fill Your Stomach'

Neena Gupta plays an ailing 92-year-old granny—Sardar Rupinder Kaur, the matriarchal head of a joint family in Amritsar—in Sardar Ka Grandson, which premiered on Netflix. Like her previous project Badhaai Ho—a mother in her 50s who ends up with an unplanned pregnancy—her latest role reflects her versatility. Neena speaks to Lachmi Deb Roy…

A granny@92: I told my manager I won’t be able to do it. But my manager insisted. When Kaashvie Nair narrated the script, I fell in love with it. The script was wonderful. When do you want me to shoot? I asked her. And when I started shooting, I didn’t care that my character is way older than I am. I will only get dadi roles after this film (laughs).

Preparation for the role: It took a month rehearsing with the prosthetics mould, which didn’t work initially. The night before the shoot, when all that makeup was put on me, I worried that this would ruin my skin. I must say the makeup artist was absolutely wonderful and patient. It took me two hours to put on those prosthetics and one-and-a-half hours to remove it. It was very cold, and the moment the prosthetic was put on me, it used to freeze.

Importance of family: The family is always important, more so now because of the pandemic. A few days ago an actor mentioned work will come and go, but family is the most important. For me, family has always been the most important part of my life. I remember, during the initial years of my life as an actress, when I was having a tough time in Mumbai, I could survive because I knew no matter what happens, my family will always be by my side.

Most emotional scene: I remember that part Kaashvie Nair (debut director) cut a lot. There is a sequence where Arjun (the grandson) and I are drinking in the night and telling our stories. He talks about his love story and I about my home and family back in Lahore. We shot the scene throughout that night on December 23. We were shivering in the Patiala cold. And yet we were so full of enthusiasm and so much into the role that I was totally into the scene and none of us complained.

Other projects: Just before the lockdown, I was shooting for Vikas Behel’s Goodbye and then I have to do Masaba Mas­aba second season, Panchayat third season.

Message for newcomers: What do you do when you don’t have work? I would say do anything to earn money because ultimately you will have to fill your stomach. I learnt from my mother that no work can be small. If you can sell vegetables, please do. You have to go out and try whatever you can. I will give an example. During my initial years in Mumbai when I didn’t have work, I used to make special coffee at the café in Prithvi Theatre and serve everybody during intervals. I used to help them make bharta in the kitchen and they used to give me free dinner. My boyfriend once told me in a very nasty tone, “You came to Mumbai to do the job of a waitress?” I told him that at least I am not asking you to pay for my food, like you ask me for money to buy cigarettes. Humans can do many things. It’s not like I am an actor, so I can only act. I can do jadu pocha also. Just because we have one set of skills doesn’t mean that you can’t learn something new.