Neena Gupta, a well-known personality in Indian cinema, once revealed a very emotional episode of her life with her late friend and actor-director Satish Kaushik. At a time when she was under severe public scrutiny for deciding to bring up her daughter as a single mother, Kaushik remained by her side with unflinching support.
Neena was expecting cricketer Vivian Richards’ child in 1989 and had taken the brave step of bringing up the baby on her own, knowing what would be said about her by society. During this difficult time, Satish Kaushik made a sincere proposition — he offered to marry Neena, not because he wanted to be with her romantically, but out of friendship and consideration.
He informed her that if the child were born with a darker skin color, they could claim the baby was his, and no one would suspect otherwise. His proposal was a gesture of providing her with a protective shield from society’s critical judgment, reflecting the strength of their relationship and his true concern.
Kaushik then pondered the offer, saying that it was out of compassion, friendship, and protective instincts. He noticed her experiencing a difficult time and wanted to do his best to help alleviate her distress.
The incident was still unknown until Neena opened it up in her autobiography, Sach Kahun Toh, and shared how much that incident was important to her. The relationship between Satish and Neena was a respectful, loving, and loyal one — one which was intact until Kaushik’s death in 2023.
Neena Gupta’s daughter Masaba also recognized Satish Kaushik’s kindness and the strength he brought silently to her mother, providing a touching tribute after his demise. This is a heartwarming example of true friendship that broke all the conventions of society and provided unstinting emotional support at one of the toughest moments in Neena Gupta’s life.
