Neena Gupta on ‘professional betrayal’ that ended her successful TV run because she trusted the wrong person

Neena Gupta said that she felt let down when the channel abruptly pulled the plug on her hit television series Saans. Neena had written and directed the popular relationship drama, which also starred Kanwaljit Singh and ran from 1998 to 1999.

In an interview, she was asked if she felt ‘professionally betrayed’ by the manner in which the show was cancelled. Neena Gupta recently released her autobiography, titled Sach Kahun Toh.

“Yes, it was conveyed very badly to me,” she told The Quint. “And something else was promised to me, and they did something else. I’m OK if my programme is not doing well and you promised me these many programmes and you want to remove… I’m OK. Things change. But there is a decency.”

She continued, “I have worked with you for years, I gave you the ‘hittest’ programme on television at that time. I’ve always been good to you, I’ve treated you very well. What do I expect in return? To be treated properly. That’s it. There is a way to say, ‘Ma’am, your thing is not working.’ So that was a very bad thing, which I didn’t like. And then I realised that it was again my mistake, because I thought this guy had become my friend. But he was not my friend. I was their top director, so he was very good to me.”

Also read: Neena Gupta says her friend tried to get her married to a gay man when she was pregnant with Masaba Gupta

Neena’s autobiography was launched by actor Kareena Kapoor. In the book, the veteran actor writes about her professional and personal ups and downs, including her failed marriage, the birth of her daughter Masaba out of wedlock, and her long overdue professional success. She also wrote about feeling ’embarassed’ on the sets of Khal Nayak, when director Subhash Ghai disapproved of her appearance, and being reduced to tears by director David Dhawan.