Kabhi Kabhie Ittefaq Sey fame Naina Gupta on becoming an actress from a sports woman says, ‘My husband encouraged me to try acting’

Actress Naina Gupta, best known for her role in Kabhi Kabhie Ittefaq Sey, recently opened up about her inspiring journey from being a state-level sportswoman to becoming a television actress. In a candid conversation, she revealed that her husband, Akshay Kumar, who serves in the Indian Air Force, was the one who encouraged her to step into acting."Actually, acting was never planned. I was always into sports. But later, when I quit, it was my husband who encouraged me to pursue acting because I was very active in stage performances during my school and college days," Naina shared. "In 2015, my husband was posted to Mumbai, and that’s when acting happened. My debut show was Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanuman in 2016."Recalling her love story, Naina said, "Akshay is from Bihar and after joining the Air Force, he was posted to Chandigarh, which is my hometown. I was a state-level ball badminton and sepak takraw player back then. We met in Chandigarh in 2005, fell in love, and finally got married in 2015."Talking about her initial struggle in the industry, she revealed, "Initially, acting was a hit-and-miss thing for me because I never planned for it. After coming to Mumbai, with my husband’s constant support, I realized that I needed proper training and guidance. I joined ICE, Ekta Kapoor’s institute, got my first portfolio photoshoot done, and started giving auditions. Back then, there were no virtual auditions, so we had to physically visit production houses and casting agencies. I also joined a theatre group and performed in plays like Ashadh Ka Ek Din and Jaat Na Poocho Sadhu Ki."Naina considers herself fortunate to have received her first advertisement shoot and a continuity character role early in her career. She added, "Later, I realized that, after sports, acting is the work I love the most. Learning acting is a lifelong process because every time you take on a new character, you explore new stories, people, and perspectives. My mantra is to keep learning — through plays, workshops, reading, observing co-artists, and following directors’ briefings on set."Over the years, Naina has been a part of popular shows like Kundali Bhagya, Suhaagan, and Jamuniya, steadily carving a space for herself in the television industry.