Neena Gupta Is Collecting Accolades For Her Powerful Performance As A Varanasi Widow In A Story That Is Important To Tell

Neena Gupta Is Collecting Accolades For Her Powerful Performance As A Varanasi Widow In A Story That Is Important To Tell

Let us coin this moment in history as ‘Neena’issance : the revival of Neena Gupta’s impeccable performing talent and its influence on Indian cinema! Post a successful stint, both critical and commercial, playing a middle-aged pregnant woman in Badhaai Ho (2018), the actress has remained unstoppable. Delivering a heart-wrenching and powerful performance as a Varanasi widow, this veteran actress is on a winning streak, collecting accolades all over the world!

The film starring Gupta, The Last Colour, is doing the rounds at international film festivals and garnering a lot of praise. Audiences and panel have noted the strong feminist themes of the film, direction and Neena’s performance as the highlights of the film.

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Registering a double victory at Indian International Film Festival of Boston, Gupta won the high prize of Best Actress for her part in the film. Directed by renowned chef, author, and filmmaker Vikas Khanna, the film tells the story of a young girl befriending a widow living in abstinence in modern-day Varanasi. Talking about taking up such a sensitive role, Neena said in an interview, “I have always received roles of strong women from the beginning. The media had built my perception of being a strong woman because of my personal life. I wanted to play the damsel in distress, but I wasn’t given an opportunity to explore that kind of a character,” she elaborated.

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The film also stood out at the Indisches Film Festival Stuttgart, Germany, winning top prizes. This is not the first time we have seen the plight of Varanasi widows being portrayed on-screen with such intensity. Bengali cinema has seen many of its characters take up this role. Even the like of Lisa Ray has donned the white drape on-screen with the Deepa Mehta directed Water (2007). It is a story all Indians are aware of, the stories of these exiled women being told time and time again. For readers who may not be aware of it, Varanasi is home to approximately 38,000 widows at its various ashrams. These women have been abandoned by their families after the death of their husbands and lead an ascetic life. Gupta’s film depicts a similar story, with the aim of affecting change concerning this very issue.

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Neena is already on a winning streak with her role and the film’s powerful message. We are putting this work of art on our watchlist as well. Till, then, check out the trailer of the film below:

On the work front, Neena Gupta will be joining Kangana in the film Panga and Akshay Kumar in Sooryavanshi. Watch out Bollywood royalty, a true queen is about the step in the house!

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Sumona Bose

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