No, she isn't playng dumb, in fact she seems to be pretty intelligent, and is being intelligent about the whole thing.
What we mean is that Neha Oberoi's own voice is not what we get to hear in her debut film, it's a professional dubbing artiste's voice.
Though she signed Woodstock Villa first, destiny ruled, as with many others before her, that her second movie, Dus Kahaniya, released first.
Neha confirmed that her voice was not used. "Yes, it's true that I have not dubbed for it," she admitted. "But why I have not been dubbed for it only the director and producer can answer."
Producer Sanjay Gupta on his part explained that Neha's voice was not suitable for the character. "We wanted a mature voice and Neha's voice wasn't suitable for it, so a dubbing artiste dubbed for her."
That sounds fair enough. And Neha Oberoi has been cool about it. But Sanjay Gupta's valid reason for dubbing Neha's voice is laced with the fact that he was settling a score, too.
Reports from the inside circle admitted that Gupta was miffed with Dharam Oberoi, Neha's father, who is now close to his former business partner, Sanjay Dutt.
The two Sanjays were together in production and had forged a thick bond
on the personal front too. Till Maanyata, it is reported, eased Gupta out of Dutt's circuit and the two
Sanjays split, though they did not admitm it to the media or their fans. "Neha is Dharam Oberoi's daughter and Dharam has shifted his loyalties to Sanjay Dutt after his split with Sanjay Gupta.
The producer Gupta hasn't taken that lightly but settled his score with his Woodstock Villa debutante heroine. So, as it happens all the time, he didn't bother to ask her to dub for her role, and got the dubbing done by a dubbing artiste instead," said the insider.
For the moment, Neha Oberoi who is caught in the feud, is taking it sportingly and in a matter-of-fact way. That should stand her in good stead in the landmine-strewn path to Bollywood.
