Rupali Ganguly Enters Politics: A Look Back At Anupamaa's Journey From Child Artist To BJP Member

TV actor Rupali Ganguly, famous for her roles in TV serials such as Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and Anupamaa, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in New Delhi on Wednesday ahead of the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections. This marks a new milestone in the 47-year-old actress' career. With Rupali joining politics, here's a look back at her career in showbiz.

Family background and early beginnings in showbiz

Rupali Ganguly is the daughter of popular Indian film director and screenwriter Anil Ganguly. She started young in her acting career, at 7, and featured in her father's 1985 film Saaheb, which featured Anil Kapoor and Amrita Singh in the lead roles. In the movie, Rupali's younger brother Vijay Ganguly also played a small part.

In a previous interview, Rupali candidly confessed how she thought her brother would become and actor. "I used to write skits and he used to act in them," Rupali told a news portal confessing that her interest initially lied in working behind the camera like her father. As fate would have it, Rupali went on to become an actress and one of the leading faces in Indian telly scene.

Rupali's acting career gets a head start

Born and brought up in Mumbai, Rupali made her TV debut with Sukanya, which aired in 2000. She played the lead role in it but it did not run long. After Sukanya wound up, Rupali did smaller parts in TV serials Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahi, Suraag – The Clue and Zindagi...Teri Meri Kahani. Though they were smaller parts, Rupali's performances made producers take a note of her.

After this, Rupali featured in the 2003 medical drama Sanjivani: A Medical Boon. She played the role of  Dr Simran Chopra, one of the main doctors in the show. She became an integral part of the ensemble cast which included names like Gurdeep Kohli, Mohnish Behl, Iravati Harshe and Sanjeet Bedi.

She then gained wider recognition for her portrayal of Monisha in the 2004 sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. Her quirky character struck a chord with the audiences. The show became immensely popular in the Indian TV space and made stars out of its cast members, including Rupali. Even now, Monisha is one of the actress' most cherished and remembered roles. It wrapped up in 2006.

Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai catapulted Rupali into the bigger leagues. While it depicted her flair for comedy, subsequent parts she did in Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, Kkavyanjali, Ek Packet Umeed, Sapna Babul Ka...Bidaai and Baa Bahoo Aur Baby let shine in serious roles. Thereafter, she took a breather frrom daily soaps and participated in the first season of the controversial reality show Bigg Boss, which was won by actor Rahul Roy. Owing to her popularity she managed to go quite far ahead in the show.

Apart from the controversial reality show, Rupali also did Khatron Ke Khiladi 2 and Kitchen Champion 2. She also acted in the Telugu film Premante Inte and the Bengali movie Eti.

Rupali gets married, takes a break from TV industry

Rupali got married to insurance executive-turned-businessman and filmmaker Ashwin Verma, who moved from New York to become her life partner. Rupali first met Ashwin in 2000, when she was doing Sanjivani. The couple tied the knot in February 2013 and have a son named Rudransh. Shorty after her marriage, Rupali took a break from acting. Her hiatus from the industry lasted seven long years.

When it seemed like Rupali had bid adieu to showbiz, in 2020, she announced her comeback with Anupamaa, which would see her essay the titular role.

Rupali's big comeback with Anupamaa

The soap star owes her huge popularity today to the titular character in the long-running family drama Anupamaa, who she's been playing since 2020. For many, the character is the embodiment of modern-day housewives, who are unafraid to step out of the confines of their homes to start their second innings. The show, which is now in its episode No 1,272, also stars Sudhanshu Pandey as Vanraj, Madalsa Sharma and Gaurav Khanna.

"I am blessed to have been playing a character that has impacted women's power and highlighted the strength of women, and I feel so blessed," Rupali told IANS in an interview about essaying the titular role in Anupamaa.

Rupali, in several interviews, has credited her husband Ashwin for helping her make her comeback to acting after a long break. She revealed that her husband decided to put himself in the “back seat” so that one of them could be with their son all the time.

Rupali wants to devote herself to the 'service of the nation'

Rupali's political plunge came as a surprise to many. On Wednesday, after joining the BJP in the presence of the party's national general secretary Vinod Tawde, Rupali shared her excitement and said, "I cannot express how I am feeling sitting on this stage. I am feeling like it was destined to happen, and that's why I have taken that long journey of art and came here."

She added, "We are fans of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I am grateful that I meet a lot of new people because of my acting career. I now want to move on the path of Mr Modi, and do service of the nation."

It will be interesting to see how Rupali fares in this new phase of her professional life. More noteworthy will be what turn the show Anupamaa takes in the wake of her decision to join politics.