Neha Dhupia: I didn’t think I was going to survive in films for 20 years

How many of us know that actor Neha Dhupia started her career with a Japanese film in 2000? So technically, it’s been a full 20 years for her as an actor!

‘Interesting’ is how she describes the experience so far. “The fact that I have lasted this long! I have worked every day of my life. Did I think I was going to survive and last this long? Not at all. I was in the midst of a decision, whether I should write my IAS papers or not 20 years ago, and Miss India. I went in for the latter thinking it will be a short stint and I will come back in three months. I packed my suitcase for two months, and stayed on here for 20 years! Did I think it was going to happen? It’s life, you have just got to play along,” tells us the 40-year-old. 

Phas Gaye Re Obama (2010), Julie (2004), Singh Is Kinng (2008) and Tumhari Sulu (2017) are a few of the films Dhupia starred in. As someone who didn’t know anyone in the film industry, was it tough? She quips, “You know it’s the fun of it. That’s what my learning has been, that no matter how tough the situation is… Whatever I was doing, I was figuring it out on my own.”

How does everything function in Bollywood, according to her? If you have talent, is that enough? “Acting is a form of creative art, there is no qualification. Its not like being a doctor, you do a double MBBS, hypothetically speaking. My dad was a fauji, there is a qualification required. This is creative. It doesn’t have a huge measure, ki iss exam mein yeh grade chahiye tha, this much bright, weight, only then you get to. You can have arguments, but all I can do is speak for myself, not anybody else’s journey, craft or struggle I don’t know enough about. I am very happy,” she says.

Follow @htshowbiz for more