I WISH I COULD SKIP A FEW FILMS IN MY CAREER: NEHA

The actor feels that it is important to preserve one’s acting skills for the right kind of work, so that when such an offer arrives, she is fresh to accept it

Actor Neha Dhupia has tried her hand at a variety of roles in the 17 years she’s been a part of Bollywood — from playing a dacoit in Phas Gaye Re Obama (2010) to a sex-worker in Julie (2004). Comedy films, too, have been aplenty in her career, such as De Dana Dan (2009) and Singh Is Kinng (2008). Ask her if she’s satisfied with the kind of roles she got till date, and Neha says, “I’ve come a long way, and there’s a long way to go. There is no timeline. It’s not like times have changed, or just because I have become a mum, the industry has changed, or roles will change. My choices will have to be appropriate to what I think is good enough. I need to give myself enough credit. The last thing I did before I became a mom was pick up an award for Tumhari Sulu (2017). Why should I not give myself enough credit?”

The 39-year old is a good example of how an outsider in Bollywood has managed to make a mark on the basis of her talent, without any connections. Neha says that initially that was the toughest challenge for her. She recalls, “When I look back, I wish I had a guiding light to tell me, ‘These are the projects you should say ‘no’ because a couple of films I did, if I could, I would have skipped them in my filmography.They didn’t

NEHA DHUPIA add value to me or my films, I was adding value to them. When you don’t have a guiding light, you come around and understand. I know I will be there when somebody needs me.”

Value addition is still her criteria while choosing films.“I won’t do a film now if it doesn’t add value to me. I have a sense of maturity towards my career. As an actor, you shouldn’t waste yourself…let me rephrase, as an actor you should preserve yourself. When the good job comes your way, you should be fresh, you should be enriched. Even if the work is less, it should be of the right kind,” says Neha.