Rupali Ganguly got emotional while speaking about her late father, filmmaker Anil Ganguly, at FICCI Frames 2026 on Wednesday. The Anupamaa actor was discussing women, independence and the impact of television when the conversation turned to her family’s past and her father’s long-standing wish to own a house in Mumbai. Anil Ganguly directed the National Award-winning Kora Kagaz and also made films such as Tapasya and Saaheb. He died on January 15, 2016, aged 82. According to Rupali, his dream of having a home in Mumbai remained unfulfilled.
What Rupali Ganguly said
Rupali has spoken about being a filmmaker’s daughter and has also been called a “nepo kid”. At the FICCI Frames session, she acknowledged that background but explained why her father’s dream mattered so much to her. “My father was a filmmaker,” she said, becoming emotional. “In those times, those who were not into corporate filmmaking business, they sold homes and made films. There was a point when we lost it all. My father’s only dream was to make a house in Mumbai I was a typical nepo kid, a big filmmaker’s daughter. But that was the only dream of my dad that I wanted to fulfil. Anupamaa hua and maine apna pehla ghar khareeda”, she added.
For Rupali, Anupamaa became a major turning point. The show premiered in July 2020, during the pandemic, and marked her return to television after a six-year break. She had stepped away from acting to raise her son. The success of the show eventually allowed her to buy her first home in Mumbai.
Rajan Shahi recalls Rupali’s early days
Rajan Shahi, the producer of Anupamaa, was also part of the FICCI Frames session. He has known Rupali since their first project together, Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahi, which was also his directorial debut. She auditioned three times for the project. Rajan rejected her after her first audition, but she kept asking for another opportunity. He remembered how she would travel for auditions despite not having enough money for the bus.
“For the first show we did together, Rupali had given three auditions and I had rejected her,” Rajan recalled. “She asked me to give her another chance. That time, she used to walk all the way from Worli as she didn’t have money to travel by bus. So that is her struggle and I am very proud of her”.
Rupali had once considered giving up acting and studying catering instead because “the salary of a chef is good.” She eventually went back to Shahi and asked to audition again. He gave her the opportunity and made her perform eight scenes over three and a half hours before casting her. That was 26 years ago. Their next major collaboration came much later with Anupamaa.
The show that changed her life
The FICCI Frames conversation was part of a session titled From Screen to Society: Rewriting Women’s Stories of Independence. Anupamaa became an important part of that discussion because of the way it placed a middle-aged homemaker at the centre of its story.
The show’s success meant something beyond ratings and popularity as it helped her achieve something her father had wanted for years. While Shahi spoke about the time Rupali would walk from Worli because she could not afford the bus fare, Rupali became emotional on stage. Her journey in television had taken her from repeatedly asking for another audition to becoming the lead of one of the country’s biggest TV shows. “Anupamaa hua,” she had said. “And I bought my first home.”
About Anupamaa
Anupamaa premiered on Star Plus in July 2020, with Rupali Ganguly in the lead. The series follows Anupamaa, a homemaker who has spent most of her life putting her family first, often at the cost of her own needs and ambitions. Her perspective begins to change when she realises how easily her sacrifices have been overlooked by the people closest to her. The story follows her attempt to become financially and emotionally independent while navigating marriage, motherhood, family conflicts and the expectations placed on women.
