Neena Gupta reveals she got proposals so Masaba would get a surname

Neena and Masaba Gupta. Picture/Neena Gupta's Instagram account

Being a single mother in India can be quite a difficult path to undertake, and Neena Gupta has done it with a strength and determination that's inspiring. The actress, however, believes she was a single mother for only two years; that's when her father took over and helped her raise her daughter, Masaba.

In a candid chat with Pinkvilla, Neena Gupta spilled the beans on raising Masaba, and how she would get marriage proposals so that Masaba would get a surname! She shares, "A lot of people started being sympathetic. My friends started telling me, 'I'll marry you, at least your daughter will have a surname. And I was like, just to give her a father's name I'll get married. I told them I can fend for myself and I started working relentlessly to make things work."

Neena Gupta also recalled the time when her father showed up and started helping her bring up Masaba. She says, "I was a single mother for maybe two years, then my dad came. He left everything and stayed with me. He looked after my household, me, my daughter. He was the man in my life. God always compensates."

After Masaba Gupta recently got divorced from husband Madhu Mantena, Neena Gupta felt devastated. "I was devastated when I heard it. Actually, it was Masaba who helped me come to terms with it. Initially, I couldn't accept it at all and it affected me," she told the entertainment portal.

Now, the best piece of advice that Neena can give her daughter is to opt for a live-in relationship. She says, "Fayda kya hai, itna paisa kharcha karke shaadi Karo and phir divorce kar lo. Toh live in hi kar lo. (What's the use, spending so much money in getting married and then filing for a divorce. Rather go for a live-in)."

On the work front, Neena Gupta has been keeping quite busy. She was last seen sharing screen space with Ayushmann Khurrana and Gajraj Rao in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, which released on February 21.

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