Neha Dhupia recalled a time when a casting director told her not to smile, a remark that deeply affected her confidence for nearly nine years.
Updated: May 28, 2026, 3:28 PM IST
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Neha Dhupia (PC- Instagram)
Actress Neha Dhupia recently opened up about struggling with self-doubt after a casting director once told her that she looked “bad” when she smiled. Speaking on her chat show with Angad Bedi, Neha shared that the comment affected her confidence for nearly nine years, making her conscious about smiling during shoots and public appearances. The director told her, “You look bad when you smile. You have no power on your face when you smile, so don’t smile.”
During the conversation with Huma Qureshi and Saqib Saleem, Neha said that with time and maturity, she realised that confidence and authenticity matter more than fitting into unrealistic beauty standards. Dhupia further explained that the comment gradually dripped into her everyday professional life. After hearing those words replay in her mind repeatedly, she slowly stopped smiling freely during shoots and public appearances, a quiet but significant shift that she only later recognised and worked to undo.
Neha’s latest release is 52 Blue. Directed by acclaimed Egyptian filmmaker Ali El Arabi, 52 Blue is a poignant coming-of-age story that follows a young Indian football enthusiast’s journey as a migrant worker to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The film explores themes of identity, aspiration, and resilience, set against a deeply emotional family backdrop. Angad was last seen on screen in Hi Nanna starring Nani and Mrunal Thakur.
Neha and Angad got married in a private ceremony at a Gurudwara in 2018. The couple gave birth to their daughter named Mehr the same year. It was in 2021, when they announced the arrival for their second child Guriq.
