Masaba Gupta opens up on facing racism while growing up
Designer and actor Masaba Gupta recently opened up about facing discrimination due to the color of her skin, while growing up. She also talked about the hatred she received because of her parents' relationship. Masaba is the daughter of veteran actor Neena Gupta and former West Indian cricketer Vivian Richards, and was born out of wedlock. Here is more on this.
She talked about facing racism in school
Sharing her story, Masaba said that the reaction from her childhood friends affected her the most. "A friend of mine brought up the color of my skin every time I asked her about what to wear, what subject to study or what sport I should play...It was bizarre," she stated. Masaba added that her parents' relationship was also made fun of.
'Was called b*stard child a lot'
"I was called b*stard child a lot. Lots of boys in my school will ask 'is she the ba**ard?' I didn't understand what it meant and my mother explained it to me by the book. She said this is what it means (sic)," she added.
You think you outgrow it but you don't: Masaba
Sharing the cruel reactions she faced, Masaba said, "The boys in the class will open my bag, take out my underwear and toss it around. They would make fun of my shorts because I was a bigger girl." "They would be like 'is it all black inside from the color of her skin.' You think you outgrow it but you don't," she further added.
'Different is so good'
Masaba's parents dated during the 80s, later separated
Masaba's parents, Neena and Vivian Richards were in a relationship during the 1980s. However, they did not get married. After the two separated, Vivian got married to Miriam, while Neena tied the knot with chartered accountant Vivek Mehra in 2008. Masaba, on the other hand, married film producer Madhu Mantena in 2015. However, they later got divorced.
Masaba recently made her acting debut with Netlix's show
Masaba is a fashion designer and owns her own line of clothing called House of Masaba, which is famous for its ethnic wear and off-beat prints. She recently starred in a semi-fictionalized series on her life called Masaba Masaba, along with her mother, and garnered huge appreciation for the same. The show premiered on Netflix in August.
