MUMBAI : If fate had given in to a 14-year-old's wish almost 17 years ago, the Indian fashion industry would have been bereft of the talent of Masaba Gupta today. The ace designer reveals that as a teenager, she wanted to follow in actor-mother Neena Gupta's footsteps. "I wanted to act since I was 14, but I was dissuaded by my mother for various reasons. She told me I would be stereotyped. Back then, I wanted to be an actor for the sake of vanity. I wanted to have people fussing over me in the make-up van," laughs Gupta, surprised at how destiny works in mysterious ways.

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Today, she finds her desire fulfilled as she headlines Netflix's Masaba Masaba. "I was relaxed in front of the camera. I am as content with what I did as I am critical," says Gupta, who is open to more acting offers. "I will act because I enjoy it. My business puts food on the table, so there is no compulsion to act."

Directed by Sonam Nair and created by showrunner Ashvini Yardi, the series sees Gupta going through a personal upheaval while trying to create a new collection. She reached out to buddies Sonam K Ahuja and Rhea Kapoor for tips. "I ran the script by Rhea because as a producer, she represents girl power."

The show makes no mention of legendary West Indies cricketer-father Vivian Richards. "The narrative picks up from the middle of my life. If there is another season that focuses on my early years, there will be a reference to him."

Rumoured beau Satyadeep Misra plays her husband in the series. Probe her on their rumoured romance, and she says, "Satyadeep is calm and gentle. He is a special person. The joke is that I am guarded about my personal life, but I have made a show on my life."

SOURCE – MID DAY

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