‘There is no Badhaai Ho’: Neena Gupta claps back at pregnancy rumours, saying she is enjoying the speculation as it shows progress as a nation

Neena Gupta’spersonal life has long captured public attention, and more so, recently, as social media was abuzz with rumours suggesting that she was pregnant at the age of 66.

The speculation arose after she attended the wedding reception of actors Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna in Hyderabad last week.

Neena, however, responded to the chatter with her trademark humour.

During a chat with Bollywood Hungama, Neena Gupta dismissed the rumours in a witty manner, saying, “This is all I need, a real-life Badhaai Ho.” She was referring to her blockbuster 2018 film Badhaai Do, where she played a middle-aged mother who gets pregnant, much to the disappointment of their sons.

She further clarified, “There is no Badhaai Ho.

I am not pregnant.

The truth is that the saree material was thick, which made me look bulky at the event.

But I must say, I love all this speculation about my pregnancy at my age.

It shows we are evolving as a nation.”
Neena Gupta has long been admired for her candid views on societal norms and gender expectations.

Previously, she spoke to Shubhankar Mishraabout the persistent patriarchal expectations in India, particularly regarding marriage.“They want a virgin wife,” she said when discussing the continued emphasis on a ‘virgin bride’ in Indian society.

When asked if virginity is still a big deal today, Neena responded sharply, “What has changed now?

Are you talking about India?

Who says that people are open?

A lot of things have not changed in our country.

Women still touch their father-in-law’s feet after putting pallu over their heads.

You and I are minorities, we are not the real India.

People like us who dress well and talk nicely are not India.”
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Neena Gupta’s personal journey has often challenged social conventions.

She became a single mother at 30, welcoming her daughter Masaba Gupta out of wedlock in a relationship with former West Indies cricketer Viv Richards.

She has reflected that this decision worked out well for her, though she does not necessarily recommend it to others.

In 2008, Neena marriedDelhi-based chartered accountant Vivek Mehra.

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