Aunty Kisko Bola Bey? How Neena Gupta Upholds Her Status As A Timeless Icon In Masaba Masaba

Neena Gupta is a woman who needs no introduction. Her powerful persona and incredible stage presence speak volumes for her and her triumphant comeback, Badhaai Ho. The movie just proved her prowess as a veteran actress and nobody can deny it. Like many other Indian women, Neena’s life story is one of loss, learning, and love. Raising a child as an unwed mother while taking on the role of providing for the family isn’t an easy task to accomplish. Not only did Neena lose out on many movie roles, but she was often typecast into the “strong female” figure. Well, Neena is back to grace our screens with the show, Masaba Masaba. The show focuses on Neena and her fashion-designer daughter, Masaba Gupta, as they go through their daily lives. Let’s take a look at why Masaba Masaba should be a must-watch for Neena Gupta fans:

The Term “Shelf-Life” Should Be Shelved

 

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A post shared by Masaba (@masabagupta) on Aug 25, 2025 at 2:40am PDT

Everybody knows that the term “shelf-life” is often used to describe the career of an actress. However, Neena has proved that “shelf-life” is a term that belongs in the 20th century with the bomb “item song” she dropped to promote the show. Unlike traditional Bollywood item songs, “Aunty, kisko bola bey” switches the rules. We see Neenaji take on the role of the protagonist while much-younger male dancers surround her.

The song’s whole idea is to destigmatize the term “aunty”, which is often used to describe older or “uncool” women. The song is also meant to make people realize that being cool and hip doesn’t have an age limit. We see a 62-year-old Neena Gupta and her squad of cool “aunties” grooving against a 20-something Mithila Palkar and her young gang. The whole point of this song is that a woman may have wrinkles, but that doesn’t mean her heart doesn’t beat the same way it did when she was younger. Eventually, we’re all going to be “aunties.” So we might as well reclaim the term and stop being embarrassed when a neighborhood baccha says, “Aunty, ball do naa?”.

Reclaiming Her Territory

Neena has always been one not to mince words. The actress comes from a highly educated background and has a Masters in Philosophy. Always taking the unconventional route in life, Neena chose to remain single and raise her daughter, Masaba, by herself. Neena had been involved in a high profile relationship with famed cricket player, Sir Vivian Richards in the 1980s. It was not an easy task for a woman to raise a half-foreign child out of wedlock in a country that is extremely racist towards Black people.

After setting a spot for herself in television, Neena became a household name. She acted in many Bollywood films and even won a National Film Award in 1994. However, Neena, like many older actresses, found herself in a tight situation. She had gotten married to Vivek Mehra, who lives in Delhi, and many thought she had retired and shifted there. Due to this, Neena found it challenging to land many roles. So what did she do? Well, she put up a post on Instagram, informing people that she lives in Mumbai and is looking for work. Masaba reshared the post and it soon went viral. After this, calls came flooding in, and Neena got the lead role in the movie, Badhaai Ho.

Raising Masaba

A majority of Neena’s acting career transpired while she was raising her little girl Masaba. Masaba had earlier told Neena that she, too, wanted to become an actress. However, Masaba also later admitted that she wanted to be an actress for all the wrong reasons at the time. Masaba wanted to be a typical actress with her dark shades and glamorous wardrobes and star-studded events. However, Neena discouraged her from pursuing a career in acting because she knew that it wasn’t an easy feat. Especially when you were someone who didn’t quite fit the norm.

Masaba went on to become a successful fashion designer and conquer the fashion world with her designs. However, she still held the dream of working in front of the cameras one day and with Masaba Masaba, she finally got her chance. Masaba shines in front of the camera as she proves her acting prowess in this role. We see her deal with the challenges of her divorce (similar to the real-life Masaba) and the rat race of the fashion world. The show is filled with celebrities like Kiara Advani, Farah Khan, and more playing fictionalized versions of themselves. Masaba and Neena’s real lives inspired many of its events.

So, what’s it like playing a fictionalized version of yourself? Well, for Masaba and Neena, that came almost naturally. The pair shared amazing mother-daughter chemistry on the screen, and at times you almost feel like you’re watching a scene from their daily lives. Almost like reality TV in a way. Some of Neena’s most inspiring teachings are passed on through Masaba as she tells us, “My mother always says, Koi Kaam Chota Nahi Hota.”.

Neenaji has played many roles in life. She has been a mother, a sister, a friend, a girlfriend, a wife, and many more. She has candidly admitted to acting as a beggar in a crowd and a servant with barely two lines. For Neenaji, no job was insignificant and she understood the real value of a job well done. Have you watched Masaba Masaba? Let us know your thoughts on Neena Gupta’s journey as an actress in the comment section below.

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Niharika NayakBA (Media & Communication)

 

Niharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing video games, and hanging out with stray animals.

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