Neena Gupta Remembers Her Debut TV Serial 'Dard' from 1993
Neena Gupta Reflects on Her First Television Serial
Renowned actress Neena Gupta recently reminisced about her inaugural television series, 'Dard,' which she both starred in and produced back in 1993. In a heartfelt Instagram post, she highlighted how this show was a pivotal moment in her career, sharing a snippet of the series along with its theme music. She wrote, "The first serial I acted and produced in 1993 for Doordarshan."
Neena Gupta Gets Nostalgic Sharing Glimpse Of First Serial
'Dard' featured a talented cast including Kanwaljeet Singh, Shagufta Ali, Manohar Singh, and Jatin Prithviraj Kapoor. The narrative revolved around Radha, a wealthy unmarried woman with a complex past, exploring her emotional struggles both in her past and present. Neena Gupta is celebrated for her roles in both independent and mainstream cinema, having won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of a young widow in 'Woh Chokri' and for her role in 'Uunchai.'
She has also appeared in various television films such as 'Lajwanti' and 'Bazar Sitaram,' the latter earning her the National Film Award for Best First Non-Feature Film of a Director. Gupta has been featured in series like 'Saans' and hosted 'Kamzor Kadii Kaun.' Her international credits include 'Gandhi' (1982), where she portrayed Mahatma Gandhi's niece, and Merchant Ivory films like 'The Deceivers' (1988), 'Mirza Ghalib,' and 'Cotton Mary.'
Personal And Professional Front
Neena Gupta has made significant contributions to Indian parallel cinema with films like 'Mandi,' 'Rihaee,' 'Drishti,' and 'Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda.' These performances solidified her status alongside arthouse film icons such as Rekha, Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, and Dimple Kapadia. In 2018, she experienced a career revival with her role as a middle-aged pregnant woman in the comedy-drama 'Badhaai Ho.'
Currently, Neena Gupta and Sanjay Mishra are receiving acclaim for their performances in the recently released film 'Vadh 2,' directed by Jaspal Singh Sandhu, which hit theaters on February 6, 2026, and has garnered positive feedback from audiences. On a personal note, Gupta's journey as a single mother and her subsequent marriage to chartered accountant Vivek Mehra are noteworthy. In the late 1980s, she was in a prominent relationship with former West Indies cricketer Vivian Richards, with whom she shares a daughter, Masaba Gupta, born in 1989.