Prizmi Tripathi
The fashion industry can be rather unforgiving if you don’t have the right skills and the formidable energy needed to stay afloat in the business. Indian fashion designer Masaba Gupta has aced the art with her mundane-turned-quirky prints and fearless attitude, for which she is regarded as one of India’s most dynamic and influential fashion moguls. The founder of House of Masaba bagged a chance to fulfill her acting dream when producer Ashvini Yardi approached her around 2017, with an idea that is now a full-fledged Netflix series titled ‘Masaba Masaba.’
The series puts the spotlight on Masaba as she strives to set her footing in the fashion industry while also struggling to manage her love life, friendship, and relationship with her mother. It also gives the viewers a glimpse into the grey side of the industry that we don’t get to witness amid the usual glitz and glamour. It has been lauded for its almost unconventional approach to the shenanigans of the people belonging to the fashion world and the heartwarming chemistry between Masaba Gupta and her reel-and-real-life mother, Neena Gupta. Curious to know whether it is a fictional or non-fictional take on Masaba’s life? Well, you’re in the right place. Here’s everything you need to know.
Masaba Masaba: Real Lives, Fictionalized Story
Yes and No. Before you get confused, allow me to clarify that the show is a fictionalized version of the highly public lives of the mother-daughter duo Neena and Masaba Gupta. Ashvini Yardi conceived the atypical format for the series after being smitten by Masaba’s appealing personality, which is reflected on her social media account. Let’s have a look at which parts in the series are authentic and which are enhanced to create a dramatic effect.
The opening scene of the series features a nervous and panicky Masaba talking to her musician husband about a blind item that is hinting at their divorce. This is actually imported from the fashion designer’s real-life marriage to producer Madhu Mantena. Although the two are now divorced, they remain good friends. Also, the actor who plays her reel husband is her current rumored beau, Satyadeep Mishra.
Also, the character of Neil Bhoopalam, as her nosy manager is a mix of some of the most interesting people in Masaba’s life. Masaba was born out of wedlock to Indian actor Neena Gupta and legendary West Indian cricketer, Viv Richards. The series showcases her prolonged ordeals while growing up as a girl of Indian-Caribbean descent. Apart from showcasing the complex relationship between Masaba and her mother Neena, it also throws light on the prejudices and rejection faced by ‘Badhai Ho’ actor Neena Gupta when she tried to make a comeback into the film industry.
There’s a particular scene in the series wherein Neena lashes out at Neil’s character for disrupting her daughter’s me-time to discuss work late at night. In an interview with First, Masaba emphasized whether that actually transpired in real life. “I don’t think she’s ever picked up the phone and scolded somebody. But she has done that to one of my first boyfriends — by the way, she didn’t pick up the phone, she reached his house with me!” the entrepreneur said. “She sat there and thrashed not just him, but his parents also. I’ll never forget. He was sitting on this swing and he was swinging, and she said, ‘Stop swinging!’ She was like if you don’t want to date my daughter, don’t be this jerk, just say you don’t want to date her, that’s it, but tell her that.” What a way to call someone out!
Most of the scenes in the series are an embellished version of the real experiences of the leads Masaba and Neena. The delectable blend of fact and fiction also showcases the fashion stereotypes revolving around the requirement of conventional looks, skin color, and a certain body type to be a part of the industry and the moral and ethical dilemma faced by a designer to rise through the ranks.
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