'I am not Amitabh Bachchan': Neena Gupta talks about the gender divide in Bollywood

Bollywood isn't an easy place to survive as an actor. Few attain stardom and success. Neena Gupta is one of the few who has been able to hold out for years. With every role, she's been doing, she's delivering some of the most iconic characters in Bollywood today.

Neena Gupta recently spoke in an interview about her success as an actress. She also shed light on the gender disparity and the struggles of being a woman in the industry. 

Neena Gupta says she's not Amitabh Bachchan

Bollywood can be formidable, for women even more so. We hear about the stars, but we rarely hear about those who don't make it. Neena Gupta is one of the few who has skillfully reinvented herself over the years to stay relevant.

But it was really Badhaai Ho that changed how people saw her in the industry. Her character received much love, also because of how she played it. In an interview with India.com, she spoke about the situation in Bollywood and the difference between male and female actors in the way scripts are written, "I am not Amitabh Bachchan," she explained saying no roles were written for her.

She spoke about the clear difference, "People noticed me after Badhaai Ho. I think right now, I am known as a good character actor. I have not got that kind of fame. There are very few roles for women. I can't be the heroine. Men (of my age) can still do main-leads. Women can't." 

Neena also had some words for women saying that financial independence is very important, calling it a 'Plan B'. She revealed she's in a happy place right now and is feeling positive about where she's headed.