Neha Dhupia, without a filter

“Kareena micromanages everything, she even schedules her son’s calendar. You would think, being a megastar, she’ll have people doing things for her, but she micromanages every little detail. She is perfect!” — that’s Neha Dhupia, speaking about her good friend Kareena Kapoor Khan, who is a guest on her talk show. The actor and podcast host ensures not to pressure her famous friends during interviews, maintaining a comfortable atmosphere. “I feel celebrities are way more guarded now, and get picked on a lot more. The more famous you are, the less you get away with things and what you say. Also, the things that you say will always be liable to be misconstrued and taken out of context. Someone is always getting attacked, so everyone is a lot more careful now,” she notes.

Neha reveals she is making an effort to learn Gen Z’s lingo in order to work with a younger crew. “I’m 43 now and I don’t know a lot of slang and neither am I aware of things that can get you cancelled. I think speaking your mind can backfire on you, so even as a host I want to put myself under the scanner,” she says.

Neha’s latest show features Vicky Kaushal. She describes him and his wife Katrina Kaif as the most magnificent hosts in Tinsel Town, revealing, “You need two days to rest your system after a get-together in their home.”

Getting candid about her guests, Neha says Shahid Kapoor, who she has known for 26 years, has “grown up a lot in the last few years,” and that she slid into Rashmika Mandanna’s direct messages on Instagram to invite her on the show. “With Animal being a mega hit and she shooting for Pushpa 2, I didn’t think my show would have been complete without her,” Neha explains. Neha confesses she was apprehensive about her conversation with Rashmika, but the busy actress turned out to be “chill.” Excited about her role in Blue 52 with filmmaker Ali El Arabi, she describes it as a dream come true. Reflecting on her husband Angad’s advice, she shares how he encourages her to seize opportunities while cherishing their family life.