Rupali Ganguly is undoubtedly one of the top faces in Indian television right now, her show Anupama in which she plays the main role, breaks the TRP records week in week out. The show has a massive fan following from people of every age.
But it was not like that always for the talented actress. Rupali recalled her days of struggle and how she had to do catering and wait tables after her Father Anil Ganguly’s two films flopped.
While speaking with Humans of Bombay, she said:
“Papa was a national award-winning director, & my biggest hero. When his films came out, people admired stars like Rajesh Khanna, but I’d say, ‘Papa is the real star!’ After school, I’d visit his sets. Watching him direct each frame meticulously I was fascinated. Iss bich, heroine kaise ban gayi, pata hi nahi chala (Between all this, I didn’t realize when I became an actor)! Once, an actress backed out of Papa’s film, & he put me in it. Just like that, at 12, the acting bug bit me.”
She further talked about the works she had to opt for during her struggle days, she said,
“But soon, Papa had 2 flops. Our tough time began, & my dream took a backseat. I did everything—worked in a boutique, catered, even waited tables. I was once a waiter at a party where Papa was a guest! I worked in ads, too that’s how I met my husband, Ashwin. He suggested that I try TV, & I thought, ‘Why not!’ Soon after, I got the titular character in Sukanyain my head, I had arrived! But I held Papa’s feedback in high regard. Once, I proudly showed him a scene, & he said, ‘Khud rona nahi haiaudience ko rulana hai!’ He helped me better my craft.”
Rupali became popular after her hit show Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai, She further talked about it and said:
“4 years later, Sarabhai happened. And none of us knew it’d be a hit, we were just having fun! Even now, Satish Kaka calls to check-up on me, & Ratna Ben brings presents for my son after every trip. We became a family on that show. The next few years, at the peak of my career, I shocked people by taking a break. But I didn’t regret it. I was once told, ‘You’ll never conceive,’ so watching my son take his first steps was a blessing. Next 6 years were all about family.”
Even after staying away from the TV for a while, Rupali came back stronger and is now ruling the Indian Television as Anupama.