Neha Dhupia

Mithiya got a lot of praise at the Osian Film Festival?
Yes, I am glad about that fact. Mithiya is a lovely movie. I remember on my first day on the sets, I was told very politely, we are all actors, not stars, and everyone is treated in that manner. It was a good thing.

So do you break away from the sexy image in this one?
I play a struggling actor, so the gloss is there, but what is also there is scope. We indulged in ‘real cinema’. That was the difference. I met people who made movies just out of sheer passion and for the love of cinema.

We remember the sexy bikini debut in Qayamat. We’ve also not seen you with your ‘mommy’ on the sets. You seem to belong to the bolder category of actresses…
Does a woman-banker go with her mommy to the bank or a sales girl with her mommy to sell products? Then why the need for my mom to accompany me on the sets? I am independent that way, and can hold my own. Also, about the bikini, it was no big deal. And it’s not like I am taking off my clothes in every film. What do people expect? Do they want me to wear a burkha or do they want to see me draped in a sari? Frankly, I’m quite a water baby and was having a blast in my bikini.

Neha Dhupia, daughter of commander Pradip Singh Dhupia, who is in the Indian Navy and mother Manpinder is a very family oriented woman who enjoys spending most of the time with her family. She has a brother, Hardeep who is a flier with Jet Airways. Born in
Cochin, Neha went to school in Vizag before passing out of Army Public School. Neha her career at the age of 19, in a TV serial Rajdhani, produced by Bobby Bedi of Bandit Queen fame. Neha decided to join modelling world and also did few plays and TV serials.
Neha Dhupia debut film was Harry Baweja's Qayamat which is an action-packed thriller starring a number of Bollywood actors including Ajay Devgan, Sunil Shetty, Sanjay Kapoor, Arbaaz Khan, Isha Koppikar.

Neha Dhupia is a sports lover. In fact she is a active sports person herself. A said, “Neha used to actively participate in all the sports activities during her school and college days. She is a good swimmer. She also good at tennis and cricket.” To enhance her sports skills Neha has taken up Squash. “Squash is the latest that has cuaght Neha’s interest. She is being by a coach. Neha’s enjoying playing the game,”the friend said.

Former Miss India, Neha Dhupia, is a big time cricket fan. The beautiful actress especially flew to Delhi, just to watch the opening of the IPL with her close friends.


Says Neha Dhupia, ''I have always been a big sports fan and have been to several cricket matches but IPL just got more glamorous. This is the only occasion where we see our Indian players teaming up with various International cricket stars. There are film stars and cheerleaders and there is no stone left unturned to promote the game.

It's become like a chick flick highly entertaining so I enjoy watching that. When the matches are on, I am simply glued to the TV screen and in between if I get any call, I avoid them
saying that I am busy in a meeting..''

Another actor-sportsman affair bites the dust. Neha Dhupia and squash player Ritwik Bhattacharya have apparently split. The break-up came to the fore during the Sunburn Festival that was held in Goa a few days back, where to everyone’s surprise, the duo completely ignored each other. Says an eyewitness, “We all were surprised to find Neha and Ritwik studiously avoiding each other at the event.”


A friend of Neha confirms that the two have indeed broken up. “The relationship didn’t work because Neha kept postponing the marriage on some pretext or the other.” The friend adds, “It’s true that Neha had agreed to marry Ritwik but she didn’t share his enthusiasm as far as marriage was concerned.”