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Neena Gupta Recalls Shyam Benegal's Stern Directing Advice on Set

Neena Gupta recounted a time when legendary director Shyam Benegal firmly instructed her to concentrate on her acting role and not interfere with directorial decisions. She contrasted the respectful fear directors commanded in the past with the current trend of actors frequently arguing on set. Gupta made these remarks while promoting her upcoming crime drama 'Vadh 2', where she reunites with Sanjay Mishra. The film, directed by Jaspal Singh Sandhu, is set for a theatrical release in February 2026.

Key Points: Neena Gupta on Shyam Benegal's Director Authority Lesson

  • Veteran actress shares directing lesson
  • Recalls working with Shyam Benegal
  • Contrasts old and new actor-director dynamics
  • Promotes upcoming sequel 'Vadh 2'
2 min read

Neena Gupta reveals the incident when Shyam Benegal asked her not to interfere in director's job

Neena Gupta shares an incident where Shyam Benegal told her to focus on acting, not directing, while promoting her new film 'Vadh 2'.

"Go, sit there quietly, focus on your role. - Shyam Benegal"

Mumbai, Feb 3

Actress Neena Gupta, who is gearing up for the release of her upcoming film 'Vadh 2', has shared an interesting incident when she was scolded by director Shyam Benegal.

The actress spoke with IANS during the promotions of the film, and spoke about the art of using dialogues in a film.

When asked if portraying a character without the crutches of dialogues, and only silence is the ultimate liberation, the actress told IANS, "It's a part of my job, it's a part of my character, so I don't feel any separation in it. It's a part of my scene. In this film, there is one scene where I walk in the corridor, I walked for a long time. So I was thinking, 'Why am I walking for so long, because I have to go from here to there, why am I being shown from there?'. It has an impact, the director knows it".

She further mentioned, "It happened with me once when I was working on a film with Shyam Benegal. Like actors now, argue with the director, it's a new way in the industry. Some actors argue for right reasons, others argue for wrong reasons. Back in those days, we were scared of our directors. I told Shyam Benegal, 'I think this dialogue, I should be doing like this'. He looked at me, and said, 'Go, sit there quietly, focus on your role'. So many actors told me that, I am just looking at my role, the directors are looking at the whole picture. Like Jaspal, our director in 'Vadh 2' has this whole film in his head, so we do what he says".

Meanwhile, 'Vadh 2' serves as a thematic or "spiritual" sequel to the 2022 film 'Vadh' and reunites Sanjay Mishra and Neena Gupta in new, intense roles that promise fresh emotional stakes and moral complexity. The film is a crime drama directed and written by Jaspal Singh Sandhu and produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg under Luv Films.

The film is scheduled for a theatrical release on February 6, 2026.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Neena Gupta ji always speaks with such wisdom and humility. It's refreshing to hear an actor acknowledge that the director sees the bigger picture. In today's times, some stars behave like they are the directors themselves. A little humility goes a long way.
M
Michael C
Interesting perspective. While I agree with respecting the director's vision, I also think a collaborative environment where actors can respectfully suggest ideas can sometimes lead to magic. Benegal's approach might have worked then, but the industry has evolved. A balanced view is best.
S
Siddharth J
Haha! Can just imagine Shyam Benegal sir's expression. "Go, sit there quietly." 😂 That generation had a different level of discipline. Today's actors need to hear this more often. Focus on your job, let the director do theirs. Simple.
N
Nisha Z
It shows the professionalism of actors like Neena Gupta. She took the feedback, learned from it, and is now sharing it as a lesson. That's a true artist. Wishing her all the best for Vadh 2. The first one was brilliant.
R
Rohit P
This is why parallel cinema from that era was so powerful. Everyone knew their role and executed it with trust. Less ego, more art. Miss those kinds of films. Hope Vadh 2 captures some of that old-school essence.

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