Neena Gupta
Mumbai
Portrayed a middle-aged pregnant woman in super-hit Badhaai Ho
There was a time when Bollywood didn't talk about sex. Instead, films were infamous for visuals such as a female lead in a rain-drenched saree or mating birds and blooming flowers that suggested sexual intercourse. Things have changed now, yet being sexy remains the domain of young people. Which is why the hit Badhaai Ho offered a refreshing perspective. Just when you thought Ayushmann Khurrana would walk away with the accolades, Neena Gupta's portrayal of a middle-aged woman romancing her husband and conceiving a baby stole everyone's hearts.

It's the coming of age of an unconventional artiste, whose life has been laced with struggle and passion. The 59-year-old National award-winner says, "When I read the script, I jumped at the opportunity. In earlier days, mothers and daughters would get pregnant together. This is because people would get married at a very young age. But, even at that time, pregnancy was a hush-hush thing. It was never connected to sex. Interestingly, when I was young, I never saw my parents sleeping in a separate room. My brother and I would always sleep with them. So, you see, sex has always been a taboo.