- Neena Gupta took on the job of replacing Archana, who was already loved by viewers.
- Neena said she later learned that Archana was returning to the show.
- Neena feels cheated and believes Shrimaan Shrimati makers knew Archana would return
Neena Gupta opened up about an old experience from the TV show Shrimaan Shrimati, claiming that she was not told the truth when she was brought into the series. When Archana Puran Singh took a break from the show because of her pregnancy, Neena was brought in as her replacement.
Neena said she had asked the makers if Archana would return after having her baby. According to her, they told her that she would not come back, which made her agree to take on the difficult job of replacing an actor who was already loved by viewers.
Neena Gupta said she later learned that Archana was returning to the show only through a phone call between Rakesh Bedi and one of her friends in Delhi. She claimed that nobody from the team had informed her about it. Neena now says she felt cheated and believes the makers knew Archana would return but kept it from her, fearing she might reject the role.
In a conversation with Zoom TV, Neena Gupta said, “Injustice happened with me in Shrimaan Shrimati. Archana was doing the role and she got pregnant and they told me that you should do it, then I said, ‘Is she coming back after the child?' Then they said, ‘No, she will not come now.' Archana is really a good actor, it is very difficult to replace her. People don't accept you so easily. I took the challenge.”
“One day I was with a friend in Delhi. Her friend is Rakesh Bedi. So Rakesh Bedi called my friend in Delhi. He said that Neena is also sitting with me. He said that ‘We are shooting from tomorrow.' When I heard this, my friend Shaili said, ‘It is not for you; you do not have a role right now,' so I said, ‘No one has told me that.' Without telling me they got her back, this also happens. It's the producer and director's fault. They might have known that Archana will return, but they thought I might refuse the role. They lied to me,” the actor added.
Shrimaan Shrimati, released in 1994, was brought back twice. In 2005, SAB TV launched a new version of the show called Aaj Ke Shrimaan Shrimati. Years later, in 2018, the makers tried another revival with Shrimaan Shrimati Phir Se. Despite sharing the name, both versions were different from the original series that featured Jatin Kanakia, Rakesh Bedi, Reema Lagoo and Archana Puran Singh.
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