Neena Gupta cooked at Prithvi Cafe in exchange of free dinner, then-boyfriend mocked her: ‘Bombay naukrani banne aayi hai?’

Neena Gupta recently opened up how she cooked for free at Mumbai's iconic Prithvi Cafe when she first came to the city to seek work.

Neena Gupta's Mast Mein Rehne Ka is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. (Photo: Neena Gupta/Instagram)

Actor Neena Gupta, whose new Prime Video film, Mast Mein Rehne Ka, has been received warmly, recently opened up about her struggling days when she came to Mumbai in the year 1981, along with her then-boyfriend. Mast Mein Rehne Ka also features Jackie Shroff.

Recalling how she made ends meet as a struggling actor in Mumbai, Neena told ETimes that she would make bharta at the famous Prithvi Cafe, which is attached to the Prithvi Theatre in Juhu. Along with films, Neena also actively does theatre. She shared that she came to Mumbai from Delhi with her then-boyfriend because she “didn’t have the guts to come alone.”

Also read | Neena Gupta gives clarification on her ‘faltu feminism’ comment: ‘They only used that chunk to create controversy…’

She further shared how this boyfriend of hers would belittle her for working at the cafe for free, and say, “Sharam kar, tu Bombay naukrani banne aayi hai? Yeh karne aayi hai (Do you have any shame, did you come to Mumbai to become a servant, a cook)?” She said that she was annoyed at her then-boyfriend’s remarks, because not only would he belittle her, he would also ask her for money to buy cigarettes.

In her four-decade career, Neena has portrayed some memorable characters. She made her debut with Saath Saath in 1982, just a year after she arrived in Mumbai. She has been a part of films such as Gandhi, Mandi, Utsav, Laila and more. Her 2018 film Badhaai Ho showed her in a new light, and started a new phase for her. She had a packed 2023, during which she appeared in Shiv Shastri Balboa with Anupam Kher, Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway with Rani Mukerji, Lust Stories 2, Charlie Chopra, and Mast Mein Rehne Ka.

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