Meet actress whose first marriage lasted less than a year, fell madly in love with cricketer, became unwed mother at 30, had her second marriage at 49 with...

Though Neena Gupta is one of the most respected actors in Indian cinema with three National Film Awards and multiple critically acclaimed performances, she has had a rather tumultuous personal life. Neena, who has impressed audiences and critics in films and shows like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda, Saans, Badhaai Ho, Panchayat, and Uunchai among others, had two marriages and a daughter out of wedlock from her controversial affair with a legendary foreign cricketer.

At the age of 18 years in 1977, the actress tied the knot for the first time with Amlan Kusum Ghose and their marriage lasted less than a year. They had met when she was studying for her Masters in Sanskrit from Delhi University and he was studying in IIT Delhi. Neena has written about the relationship and shared why they broke up in her autobiography Sach Kahun Toh, "Amlan and I would meet in secret on campus, his hostel or near my house. His parents lived in another city but his grandfather lived in my lane." The actress got married to him just to get permission to visit Srinagar with him. "Amlan viewed things differently. Given the times and our upbringing, I think he had always assumed that I would eventually settle down and focus on our family. But I had become a bit too ambitious and didn’t see myself ever being a regular housewife. I wanted more from life, and the more theatre I did, the clearer my path became", she added on why they got separated within a year. After four years in 1982, Neena made her debut in the Hindi film industry and has never looked back since then.

In the late 1980s, Neena got into a serious relationship with the West Indies cricketer Vivian Richards. Though they never married, they had their child Masaba Gupta out of wedlock and have lived separately throughout their life. In her book, Neena has also explained why she didn't get a abortion when she found she was pregnant with their child. "Vivian and I had an affair, and I got pregnant. Some people advised me to get an abortion. Others cautioned against the perils of being a single parent. I listened to everyone patiently. They were all very concerned, I know. But once I was back home and alone, I asked myself: What do you think? How does this make you feel? The answer was: I was giddy with joy. I also understood that I wasn't the only person who had a say in the situation. The baby's father, Vivian, had an equal right. So, I called him one day and spoke to him for a long time. 'I'm pregnant', I told him. 'Would you have a problem if I were to have your baby?' Vivian sounded happy and said I should go ahead. This assured me that I was doing the right thing. As much as I wanted this child, I also did not want to go ahead if the father wasn't on board. So, it came as a relief when Vivian supported my decision", she wrote.

In 2008, Neena Gupta had her second marriage at the age of 49 years with a Delhi-based chartered accountant Vivek Mehra in a private ceremony in the United States. They have decided not to have any children. Neena and Vivian's daughter Masaba Gupta is a famous fashion designer and actress. Just like her mother's first marriage, Masaba's first marriage with the producer Madhu Mantena failed after four years and she tied the knot again with the actor Satyadeep Misra in January 2023. Vivian had visited India to attend his daughter's wedding. Masaba and Satyadeep welcomed their daughter named Matara in October 2024.

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