Neha Dhupia recently garnered a lot of praise for her roles in shows like ‘Single Papa’ and ‘Perfect Family’. However, in a recent interaction, Neha shared her thoughts on how good work doesn’t necessarily always lead to more opportunities in the uncertain film industry. She also admitted to facing anxiety during phases when she was unable to land acting jobs for a period of three to four years.
Speaking to ‘Bollywood Hungama’, Neha said, “I do get anxiety when I’m not working.” She added, “Even after 20 years in the industry, when the lights are out, I do put my head into a pillow and cry. I did it three days ago. Do I have my reasons? Yes, is anybody listening? I don’t know. I don’t want to make a sob story about this because I love the business of movies. I feel it won’t let me down.”
Neha further shared that while actors are often advised to be thick-skinned in the industry, losing projects and facing constant judgment can be daunting. “It gets very tough. It is advocated to be thick-skinned, but everything matters. The part that matters the most is that when you are not working, everybody around you is working. You see life pass by. The only difference between a newcomer and me is that I know how to get past these things. I have been anxious so many times.”
She added, “I get so tired when there are no acting jobs for three to four years, but by the grace of God, I am never out of work because I do so many things. It is an exhausting but rewarding business.”
Talking about how work does not necessarily lead to more work and how she is inspired by Akshaye Khanna’s career trajectory - known for being extremely selective about his projects and appearing onscreen sparingly - Neha said, “The conversion has to be there. If my work in the latest two shows doesn’t convert into anything, then there is no point. Does work lead to good work? I don’t know sometimes… then you see the trajectory of Akshaye Khanna and then you think, ‘We should also sit at home for six years’. It is just hoping that work will lead to work.”