Neena Gupta speaks about intrusive questions and women’s dress norms in Delhi

Neena Gupta’s answer to unsolicited questions about marriage is direct: “Tumhare baap ka nahi khati” — she is not dependent on the person asking.

The actor, speaking in interviews about intrusive personal remarks, said she responds firmly when relatives or others ask when she will marry. She also recalled comments about her appearance after adjusting a saree around her waist; people asked whether she was pregnant. Gupta said she told her team to answer such body-shaming remarks by saying that she was pregnant.

Gupta also spoke about expectations imposed on women’s clothing and appearance. She said women in several Delhi neighbourhoods are still expected to cover their faces with a veil, and argued that these social norms have seen only limited change even as more women have begun earning.

She will next appear in *Chumbak*, a comedy-drama about five families living in an urban Indian neighbourhood. The series is written and directed by Aatish Kapadia and also features Deven Bhojani, Arjun Bijlani, Helly Shah, Sumeet Vyas, Manasi Parekh, Sumeet Raghavan, Sandeepa Dhar, Delnaaz Irani, Anant V. Joshi and Amyra Dastur.