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Panchayat Star Neena Gupta Gets Candid About Her Love Life With Viv Richards

Jatin

Neena Gupta and Sir Vivian Richards [Source: @BombayBasanti/x.com]Neena Gupta and Sir Vivian Richards [Source: @BombayBasanti/x.com]

Long before she became the internet’s favourite desi Manju Devi on Panchayat, Neena Gupta was already living a life wilder than any drama series. The veteran actor has always worn her heart on her sleeve and in her autobiography 'Sach Kahun Toh', she spilled the tea on one of the boldest decisions of her life: choosing to have a baby with West Indies cricket legend Sir Vivian Richards while remaining unmarried.

But what not many knew? Their story didn’t just end with Masaba’s birth. Neena revealed that she and Vivian continued their relationship “on and off for a few years” even after their daughter came into the world.

Neena Gupta-Vivian Richards Love Story

Neena’s first encounter with Vivian Richards was a classic movie moment. She first saw him play the day before and then met him at a dinner party hosted by none other than the Maharani of Jaipur. Sparks flew instantly.

“We hit it off instantly,” she wrote. But like all great love stories, they lost touch after that night. “We hadn’t exchanged numbers, so we didn’t know how to contact each other.” Fate, however, had other plans.

Neena and Vivian crossed paths again at the Delhi airport. This time, they didn’t let the moment slip. They started an affair, one that soon turned Neena’s life upside down in the best way possible.

“Vivian and I had an affair and I got pregnant. He had already returned home when I found out,” she shared.

A Baby, A decision And No Regrets

Once the news sank in, Neena felt overwhelmed, not with fear but with joy.

“I was giddy with joy,” she wrote, even as she acknowledged the tough road ahead as a single mother in a society that wasn’t too kind to such choices.

“Some people advised me to get an abortion. Others cautioned against the perils of being a single parent. I listened to everyone patiently... But once I was back home and alone, I asked myself: What do you think? How does this make you feel? The answer was: I was giddy with joy.”

But she didn’t take the leap without checking in with Vivian.

“I also understood that I wasn’t the only person who had a say in the situation. The baby’s father, Vivian, had an equal right,” she shared.

She then picked up the phone and told him,

“‘I’m pregnant’, I told him. ‘Would you have a problem if I were to have your baby?’”

Vivian sounded happy and said I should go ahead. This assured me that I was doing the right thing.

The Relationship Didn’t End With Masaba’s Birth

Even after their daughter Masaba was born, Neena and Vivian stayed in touch. They weren’t just co-parents, they shared something deeper, though not without its complications.

“Vivian was as involved as possible,” she wrote, adding, “Our relationship continued on and off for a few years and we had some beautiful moments and also some ugly ones. It was long distance and a very different kind of relationship.”

Vivian, at the time, was already married, which added more layers to an already complex equation. But Neena stayed true to herself, raising Masaba as a single mother.

Years later, Neena finally found companionship when she married Vivek Mehra, a Chartered Accountant, at the age of 59. But her story with Vivian remains one of bold choices, quiet strength and a refusal to let society write her script.