'It was inappropriate': Neena Gupta recalls Subhash Ghai's humiliating comment to 'look fuller' during ‘Choli Ke Peeche’ shoot

Veteran actor Neena Gupta has spoken candidly about the uncomfortable and, at times, humiliating situations she encountered during her early years in the film industry. The actress recalled filming the song ‘Choli Ke Peechhe’ from ‘Khalnayak’, where director Subhash Ghai allegedly asked the costume department to “make her appear fuller.” The remark left a strong impression on her at the time, as she found it insensitive and embarrassing.In a conversation with Shubhankar Mishra on his YouTube channel, Gupta shared, “At that time, I felt very angry and thought it was inappropriate to say something like that. But now I feel he was just doing his job. He had a certain image in mind for the character in the song, and he expressed it plainly. I was new then, today I understand it differently.”Today celebrated for her elegance, versatility, and commanding screen presence, Neena Gupta’s rise in Bollywood came only after navigating numerous setbacks. She admitted that in her early career she often accepted roles that did not suit her age or creative aspirations, simply to remain visible in the industry. Alongside mismatched roles, she also faced distasteful comments and uncomfortable demands on sets, experiences that shaped her perspective but did not deter her determination to succeed. Neena Gupta was last seen in ‘Vadh 2’, directed by Jaspal Singh Sandhu. The film continues the story of ‘Vadh’ and is produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg. The sequel features a strong ensemble cast including Sanjay Mishra, Kumud Mishra, Shilpa Shukla, along with newer faces such as Amitt K. Singh, Akshay Dogra, and Yogita Bihani. Neena has also previously featured in director Anurag Basu's anthology film, 'Metro...In Dino' (2025). The movie featured Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Anupam Kher, Gajraj Rao and others in key roles.