Neena Gupta Says Viv Richards Wasn't In Touch With Masaba For Years: 'I Knew How He Was'
In 1989, when Neena Gupta found out she was expecting a child, she was overjoyed — but she also knew the road ahead wouldn't be easy. Choosing to have the baby as a single woman was a courageous decision, made more complex by the fact that the father was West Indies cricket legend Vivian Richards, and they weren't married.
In a revealing 2015 interview, as quoted in ETimes she spoke openly about raising her daughter Masaba alone after her relationship with cricket star Vivian Richards ended. She recalled how hard it was when Masaba felt abandoned. 'I told her how her father is not a family man and how he was like this and this. In the beginning, she would feel bad that Vivian was not in touch with her till the age of about 20, but then he got in touch. His problem also is that he is not net savvy and so, it is very difficult to get in touch with him."
Neena described the emotional rollercoaster of Richards' unpredictable involvement. 'Sometimes, he would call her on her birthday and sometimes, he would not call for even three years. Sometimes, he would come here and meet and sometimes not. By then, I knew him and how he was." She added, 'If I told him I needed something, he would go mad finding it to bring it for me, but on his own, he would not bring anything. He is a person who cannot express his emotions."
Despite the instability, Neena held no bitterness. She shared a touching memory from a match in Jaipur, 'I saw him almost crying and I liked that about him. He is a very nice guy, down‑to‑earth, disciplined, but you can expect only that much from him. I feel that God gave me my father instead of him."
After Masaba was born, Vivian Richards stayed as involved as he could. He was married, and because they lived in different countries, their relationship was not easy and changed over time. 'Our relationship continued on and off for a few years and we had some beautiful moments and also some ugly ones. It was long distance and a very different kind of relationship," Neena Gupta had written in her memoir, Sach Kahun Toh.
Masaba Gupta now shares a close relationship with her father, Vivian Richards.
First Published:
August 05, 2025, 11:16 IST
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