Neena Gupta credits father for helping her raise Masaba as single mom: ‘He was my backbone’

Actor Neena Gupta has credited her father for being her backbone during the most crucial time in her life, and helping her raise daughter Masaba as a single mother.

Actor Neena Gupta has credited her father for helping her raise daughter Masaba Gupta as a single parent. Neena was moved by a contestant’s performance on the singing reality show Indian Idol 11, when she made the comments.

Neena Gupta poses with daughter Masaba.

She said, “My father played a very important role in raising my daughter, he especially shifted to Mumbai to help me. I cannot express how thankful I am to him. He was my backbone during the most crucial time of my life.”

The contestant, Rohit Raut, was also raised by a single parent. Neena added, “I don’t know what to say after such a marvellous performance and I feel so lucky to watch such a great performer live.”

Neena has spoken about the difficulty she faced having Masaba out of wedlock with cricketer Viv Richards. She told Mumbai Mirror in a recent interview, “I would not have a child outside marriage. Every child needs both parents. I was always honest with Masaba, so it did not affect our relationship, but I know she suffered.”

Masaba is a popular fashion designer now, and Neena often wears her creations. Recently, she posted an Instagram picture of herself, and proudly said that she was wearing her daughter’s designs. “Masaba has helped me break some taboos, like wearing off-white with white or sneakers with a fancy gown. She’s given me the confidence to carry off stuff, which looks nice. It’s important that you are not embarrassed when you try something new,” Neena said in the Mumbai Mirror interview.

The actor was seen recently in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan. She reunited with her Badhaai Ho co-stars Ayushmann Khurrana and Gajraj Rao.

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