Neena Gupta has always lived life on her own terms. In the late 80s, she broke every rule of society by choosing to have her daughter outside of marriage.

Neena has gone through everything, from raising a child alone to handling questions to dealing with constant judgment. But recently, she opened up about one of the most shocking incidents from that time: how Masaba’s birth certificate was stolen and leaked by a journalist.

The Missing Birth Certificate

Neena recalled that when Masaba was born, her aunt went to get the birth certificate from the registrar’s office. But when she reached there, the officials told her:

“Wo toh le gaye aapke koi rishtedaar.”

That sounded strange. And obviously, like any parent, she was worried, as it is supposed to be the most important document of any individual.

Very soon, Neena found out the truth. A well-known journalist, Pritish Nandy, had allegedly sent someone to steal the document.

And why? To publish the name of Masaba’s father, who was a West Indies cricket legend, Vivian Richards. All this was done without Neena’s consent.

For a young mother already battling judgment from society, this was something unbearable.

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How Did Neena React To This?

Neena didn’t stay silent. She was furious and called out the journalist publicly. In her words:

“He stole my baby’s birth certificate from the registrar’s office. And I called him a bastard!”

She was angry that her daughter was being dragged into gossip columns and judged before she could even walk.

Years later, when Nandy passed away in 2025, Neena left a blunt comment on a tribute post:

“Do you know what he did to me? He stole my baby’s birth certificate and published it. So no RIP.”

This post showed the hurt was raw for a mom, even decades later after the incident.

Neena wanted to protect her daughter’s identity until Masaba was old enough to choose how much of her life she wanted to share. Instead, a journalist snatched that choice away for the sake of a headline.

She faced constant judgment. She was also given suggestions to fix her situation, like marrying a gay businessman just for the sake of appearances. Well, she didn’t bother much s she wanted to live life on her own terms.

But this cost her big. At some point, she was homeless with baby Masaba after being thrown out of her aunt’s house.

And yet, Neena never got dejected. Instead of feeling ashamed, she chose to be honest.

She never sugarcoats her life. And maybe that’s why her story resonates so deeply.

Neena Gupta could have let shame or fear silence her. Instead, she spoke up. She refused to let anyone else control her and Masaba’s life.