Actress Rupali Ganguly became emotional while recalling her late father, veteran filmmaker Anil Ganguly, and his long-standing dream of owning a house in Mumbai at FICCI Frames 2026.
Speaking at the event, the ‘Anupamaa’ actress opened up about her family’s financial struggles and the difficulties her father faced during his career in the Hindi film industry. She said fulfilling his dream remained deeply important to her.
“My father was a filmmaker. 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,” Rupali said.
Anil Ganguly was a filmmaker and screenwriter known for films including the National Award-winning ‘Kora Kagaz’, ‘Tapasya’ and ‘Saaheb’. He died on January 15, 2016, aged 82.
Rupali also addressed the perception that she benefited from being the daughter of a prominent filmmaker. Acknowledging the “nepo kid” tag, she said she wanted to establish an identity through her own work while also fulfilling her father’s dream.
“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 (Anupamaa happened and I finally got my first home),” she said.
Rajan Shahi, producer of ‘Anupamaa’, was also present at the event and recalled Rupali’s early struggles in the television industry.
Shahi said Rupali auditioned three times for their first show together before being selected. He also recalled the financial difficulties she faced at the time, saying she would sometimes walk from Worli because she could not afford the bus fare.
“For the first show we did together, Rupali had given three auditions and I had rejected her. 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,” Shahi said.
Rupali’s comments highlighted the personal significance she attaches to her journey in the entertainment industry and to the success of ‘Anupamaa’, which she credits with helping her buy her first home in Mumbai.
