Exclusive: Neena Gupta On Viral Dharmendra-Nafisa Ali Pair In Life In A Metro - "Saleability Is Not For Older People Like Us"
Neena Gupta will share screen space with her frequent collaborator Anupam Kher in Anurag Basu's Metro... In Dino. The former classmates at Delhi's National School of Drama (NSD) during the '70s have earlier worked in several films together.
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Neena Gupta talks about the casting process of senior actors in Bollywood and whether she finds Dharmendra and Nafisa Ali's pair in the original Metro, that is 2007's Life in a... Metro, a competition for her and Anupam Kher's on-screen couple in its upcoming follow-up.
Neena Gupta On Dharmendra-Nafisa Ali's Pairing In Life in a... Metro
In Anurag Basu's 2007 film Life in a... Metro, Dharmendra and Nafisa Ali played a senior citizen couple. The novelty of the pairing and the intimate scene between the film veterans generated a lot of buzz at the time.
Neena Gupta and Anupam Kher also play an elderly couple in Metro... In Dino, also directed by Anurag Basu. When asked if she sees the Dharmendra-Nafisa Ali pairing as a big competition to that of her and Anupam Kher's in the new film, a smiling Neena Gupta at first said, "I don't, I don't."
"I would like to work with Dharamji one day. I actually worked opposite him in a film long ago. I can't remember the name right now. But the saleability of stars doesn't apply to us. Woh hero-heroine ke liye hota hai (That works for the lead pair). The director has a vision. They envision the characters visually. If we fit into that, they cast us," Neena Gupta further told NDTV.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Neena Gupta (@neena_gupta)
The Panchayat star's remarks could be seen in the context of a 2019 tweet which pitched senior actors should play elderly characters in the film. The conversation started after Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu played both the young and the elderly versions of the two sharpshooters in Tushar Hiranandani's Saand Ki Aankh. Based on the story of real-life sharpshooters Chandro Tomar and Prakashi Tomar, the film triggered a discussion about ageism and casting actors according to their age in movies.
The post read, "I love Bhumi and Taapsee but I kinda wish older actors were cast in these roles. Could you imagine Neena Gupta and Shabana Azmi or Jaya Bachchan? #SaandKiAankh"
In her response, Neena Gupta at the time wrote, "Yes, I was just thinking about this. Hamari umar ke role toh kam se kam humse kara lo bhai..."
Yes i was just thinking about this hamari umar ke role toe kamsekam humse kara lo bhai https://t.co/6Fmrxn0HbE
— Neena Gupta (@Neenagupta001) September 24, 2019
Neena Gupta On Collaborating With Anupam Kher In Metro... In Dino
Neena Gupta and Anupam Kher were last seen in Shiv Shastri Balboa (2023). They have also worked in films such as Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), Utsav (1994), Meri Biwi Ka Jawaab Nahin (2004), and Uunchai (2022).
Reflecting on their decades-old bond, Neena Gupta told NDTV, " Jab do good actors ek saath kaam karte hain na, chemistry ban hi jaati hai (When two good actors work together, chemistry happens naturally). I don't know why Anurag cast me or Anupam. But I wanted to work with Anurag for so long. And Anupam ko main itni achhi tarah jaanti hoon (I know him so well), we have done 24 shows in America. We were there for one-and-half months. We know each other's moods, habits and everything."
" Agar actor naya bhi ho na, mujhe kaam karne mein koi problem nahi hota (Even if the actor is new, I don't feel any difficulty in working with them)" she added.
Neena Gupta was last seen in the Amazon Prime original series Panchayat season 4. Speaking of Anurag Basu's Metro In Dino, the film boasts of an ensemble cast also featuring Sara Ali Khan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi and Konkona Sen Sharma.
The film will be released in theatres on July 4.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Metro... In Dino' advance booking report: Anurag Basu's film sells 18,500 tickets for day 1, aims for Rs 3-3.50 crore opening
Anurag Basu 's big ensemble film 'Metro... In Dino' has hit cinemas today on 4th July, 2025. Starring top talents like Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan , Pankaj Tripathi , Konkona Sen Sharma, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Anupam Kher, Nina Gupta and Saswata Chatterjee, the film has been in the news for quite some time. Now, its advance booking numbers give us a first real look at how it might fare. A strong cast, but tough competition 'Metro... In Dino' is seen as a spiritual sequel to Basu's much-loved film 'Life In A Metro'. The new film also explores urban stories and tangled relationships, something the first film was praised for. However, it isn't releasing alone. The film faces direct competition from the Hollywood giant 'Jurassic World: Rebirth'. It also runs alongside holdover hits like 'F1', 'Sitaare Zameen Par' and 'Maa', which still have their audience. Even so, 'Metro... In Dino' has got good screens thanks to the curiosity it built before release. Advance booking falls below hopes According to a report by Pinkvilla, 'Metro... In Dino' has sold around 18,500 tickets across top national chains for its opening day. While that might sound okay, it is actually much lower than what trade experts expected. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like "진작 할 걸… 임플란트 개당 30만원으로 웃음 되찾았습니다!" 튼튼한 임플란트_강남치과의원 지금 문의 Undo As the report points out, 'the movie should have had double the number of tickets sold for the opening day, if not more; since it is firstly the sequel of an acclaimed film like Life In A Metro, and secondly because it is a pricey film that really requires strong theatrical performance to breakeven. ' Eyeing a Rs 3-3.50 crore day 1 collection The report further mentions that, going by these bookings, the film is looking at a Rs 3 crore to Rs 3.50 crore net opening in India. The final numbers will depend on spot bookings and how viewers react once shows start. The film will now hope for strong word-of-mouth to boost collections over the weekend. Many of Basu's past films have slowly won over the audience after release, so there is still a chance this one might pick up in the days ahead. A costly film that needs a big worldwide run 'Metro... In Dino' has been an expensive affair. As per Pinkvilla, the film was first approved at a budget of Rs 65 crore, but reshoots pushed the cost of production up to Rs 85 crore. Add another Rs 15 crore spent on print and advertising, and the total cost has touched around Rs 100 crore. Luckily, the film has already recovered about Rs 70 crore from non-theatrical revenue. But that still leaves a good chunk to be made from theatres. Needs at least Rs 75 crore worldwide to break even The report also explains, the movie needs to gross at least Rs 75 crore worldwide to ensure that the movie doesn't lose anyone associated with the film, any money. This means it must earn well globally so that the makers get around Rs 30 crore share needed to cover the remaining costs. With its slow start in advance bookings, the film will be banking on audiences to come in through the weekend and beyond. Now, everything rests on how viewers take to 'Metro... In Dino'. Will they connect with its stories and characters like they did with 'Life In A Metro'? Or will the strong competition make it harder for the film to grow? With a rich cast and Anurag Basu's knack for telling human stories, the film still has plenty of promise. But it now needs solid word-of-mouth to make sure it sails smoothly at the box office.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Metro... In Dino' Movie Review and Release Live Updates: Anurag Basu's ensemble film starring Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Pankaj Tripathi and others opens in theatres : ‘Metro In Dino' could be
Anurag Basu is back with another look at modern city life in his new film 'Metro... In Dino', which has finally hit cinemas today. Many are calling it a spiritual sequel to his 2007 hit 'Life in a... Metro'. Once again, Basu explores love and relationships in bustling metro film boasts a wonderful cast including Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Ali Fazal, Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta. Each of them brings a different side of love to the screen, making it easy for anyone who has ever felt lonely or loved in a big city to across Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore, the film tells several heartfelt stories about couples living in these busy places. We see four pairs whose lives connect at various points, offering different shades of love — from young couples trying to find their way, to middle-aged people dealing with life's struggles, and older pairs enjoying gentle was a big part of 'Life in a... Metro', with songs that still touch hearts. Pritam, who composed for the first film, returns but has taken a new approach with the soundtrack this fresh stories, moving performances and a warm look at everyday connections, 'Metro... In Dino' promises to strike the same emotional chord as the first film. Stay tuned with Etimes for live updates on this film.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
'Sitaare Zameen Par' Box Office collection day 14: Aamir Khan and Genelia D'Souza starrer maintains a steady pace on its second Thursday; mints over Rs 135 crore in India
Aamir Khan and Genelia D'Souza's film 'Sitaare Zameen Par' has been the talk of the town from the very beginning. And then, finally, on June 20, 2025, the film made its way to the theaters, making a strong start at the box office. Even now, as the movie has completed 14 days, it has kept the cash registers ringing at the box office, maintaining a steady pace amid new releases. Though according to the Sacnilk report, the movie saw a major dip on Wednesday, the early estimates of Thursday show that it managed to maintain a steady business, taking the tally to over Rs 135 crore in the domestic market. 'Sitaare Zameen Par' Box Office collection day 14 According to early estimates, 'Sitaare Zameen Par' earned about Rs 2.75 crore net across India on Thursday, i.e, on its 14th day. It is exactly how much the movie made on day 13, its second Wednesday as well. With this, the movie, after a 14-day run at the box office, stands at Rs 135.56 crore total. Day-wise collection of 'Sitaare Zameen Par' Day 1 (Friday): Rs 10.7 crore Day 2 (Saturday): Rs 20.2 crore Day 3 (Sunday): Rs 27.25 crore Day 4 (Monday): Rs 8.5 crore Day 5 (Tuesday): Rs 8.5 crore Day 6 (Wednesday): Rs 7.25 crore Day 7 (Thursday): Rs 6.5 crore Week 1 Total: Rs 88.9 crore Day 8 (2nd Friday): Rs 6.65 crore Day 9 (2nd Saturday): Rs 12.6 crore Day 10 (2nd Sunday): Rs 14.50 crore Day 11 (2nd Monday): Rs 3.75 crore Day 12 (2nd Tuesday): Rs 3.75 crore Day 13 ( 2nd Wednesday): Rs 2.75 crore Day 14 ( 2nd Thursday): Rs 2.75 crore (early estimate) Total: Rs 135.56 crore Occupancy rate on day 14 On Thursday, 3 July 2025, the overall occupancy of the movie in Hindi was 9.92%. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like "밤새 나던 종아리 쥐가 사라졌어요!', 막힌 혈관 찌꺼기 싹~ 청소한 [이것.] 대박이네!! 카이스트 건강비결 더 알아보기 Undo This was slightly less than the occupancy rate recorded on Wednesday, which was 10.69%. Breaking it down, it was a slow start with the morning shows, which saw 7.66% occupancy, but as the day proceeded, the number changed and rose to 9.39% in the afternoon. It was an upward graph from there, with the rate climbing to 10.64% in the evening, and 11.97% during the night shows. Aamir Khan expresses contentment over the movie's reception Even before the numbers showed up, the audience verdict came out in the form of the rave reviews shared on social media. The film has been received with both arms wide open by the critics and the audience alike. Reflecting on the same, in an interview with NDTV, Aamir Khan shared, "I am thrilled with the response. Itne khush cheezein dikh rahe hai. The film is touching a deep chord with people, and that is making me and the entire team very happy. " About the film Directed by RS Prasanna, 'Sitaare Zameen Par' is the spiritual sequel to the 2007 release 'Taare Zameen Par.' It shows the story of a brash, suspended basketball coach, played by Aamir Khan. Amid his legal troubles, he is ordered to do community service, where he is supposed to train a team of neurodivergent players. Initially, he thinks it is an impossible task, and from there, the journey of challenges and a big change begins. The movie also features Genelia D'Souza, whose warmth and charm enhance the narrative. Another USP of the film is the 10 fresh faces, who engaged all with their stellar performance - Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishna Varma, Samvit Desai, Vedant Sharma, Ayush Bhansali, Ashish Pendse, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Naman Mishra, and Simran Mangeshkar. These young performers have invested their souls into their characters, making the story even more moving.
