Veteran actor Neena Gupta has often spoken about her experience of raising her daughter, fashion designer and actor Masaba Gupta, as a single mother. Neena has once again opened up about the challenges of single parenthood and said that while it was a choice she made in her own circumstances, she would not encourage others to follow the same path unless they genuinely wanted to.

Neena had Masaba with former West Indies cricket legend Vivian Richards in the late 1980s. The two were in a relationship but never married, as Richards was already married at the time. Neena chose to have their daughter and raise her in India. She has previously spoken about how difficult the journey was, including her decision to raise Masaba without seeking financial or emotional support from anyone.

‘I would not propagate single motherhood’

In a recent conversation with Zoom, Neena said she would not propagate the idea of choosing single motherhood because of how demanding it can be.

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“I would not propagate it. I have always said, ‘Don’t do it because I did it.’ It is very difficult, and it is not fair on the child. I will still say that,” she said.

Neena clarified that her view does not come from fear of social judgment. Instead, she believes single parenthood can be extremely demanding on several levels.

“It is not because of judgement. It is very tough on your body, your soul and your finances, and it is not good for your child. So, that is why I will not tell anybody to go that way. Unless they want to, it is their choice,” she added.

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Neena Gupta didn’t hide anything from Masaba

For Neena, once Masaba was born, being honest with her daughter about her family was extremely important. Rather than hiding the circumstances of Masaba’s birth or allowing her to hear about them from someone else, Neena chose to tell her the truth gradually, depending on what she was old enough to understand.

“Under the circumstances in which I had my baby, it was very important for me to tell her the truth. I systematically, slowly and gradually told her the truth whenever she asked me, in such a way that she didn’t even hate her father,” Neena said.

She explained that she consciously avoided creating resentment towards Vivian Richards and instead helped Masaba understand her relationship with her father as she grew older.

“I made her like her father. I told her why and what had happened as she grew up. So, there was no malice or anger towards me because I told her the truth. It is very important because, rather than her hearing something from outside, I thought it was better that I told her myself. I think that was a very sensible thing that I did,” she said.

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Neena apologised to Masaba

Neena also admitted that she has apologised to Masaba over the years for the fact that her father was not around while she was growing up.

“I am so honest with her that many times I have said sorry to her that you didn’t have a father with you when you were young. It is my fault, but she understands,” Neena said.

The actor also acknowledged that people often make decisions when they are young without fully understanding their consequences.

“We all make mistakes. When we are young, our parents tell us certain things and we don’t listen. That wisdom comes later,” she said.

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Neena and Vivian Richards relationship

Neena has previously opened up about her relationship with Vivian Richards and the circumstances surrounding Masaba’s birth in her autobiography Sach Kahun Toh.

Writing about discovering that she was pregnant after Richards had returned to his home, Neena recalled, “Vivian and I had an affair and I got pregnant. He had already returned home when I found out.”

She went on to reveal that people around her had different opinions about what she should do. “Some people advised me to get an abortion. Others cautioned against the perils of being a single parent. I listened to everyone patiently.

They were all very concerned, I know. But once I was back home and alone, I asked myself: What do you think? How does this make you feel? The answer was: I was giddy with joy.”

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Richards was already married when he and Neena began their relationship. Describing the nature of their equation, she wrote, “Our relationship continued on and off for a few years and we had some beautiful moments and also some ugly ones. It was long distance and a very different kind of relationship.”