Rupali Ganguly calls Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai cast family: ‘Satish Shah checks up on me, Ratna Pathak gets gifts for my son’

Rupali Ganguly has said that Satish Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah are like family and the Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai stars continue to stay connected. Having worked in the popular TV show for a few years, Rupali made her comeback to the small screen with Anupamaa and the TV serial has topped TRP ratings ever since its premiere in 2020. (Also read: Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai reunion: Satish Shah trolls Rupali Ganguly)

Rupali recalled how she got Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai and told Humans of Bombay in a recent interview, “Soon after, I got the titular character in Sukanya – in my head, I had arrived! But I held Papa’s feedback in high regard. Once, I proudly showed him a scene, and he said, ‘Khud rona nahi hai–audience ko rulana hai (You don’t need to cry yourself, you need to make the audience cry)!’ He helped me better my craft. Four years later, Sarabhai happened. And none of us knew it’d be a hit, we were just having fun! Even now, Satish Kaka (Satish Shah) calls to check-up on me, and Ratna Ben (Ratna Pathak) brings presents for my son after every trip. We became a family on that show.”

Rupali also recalled how she got into acting because of her father Anil Ganguly. “Papa was a national award winning director, and 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 (I never got to know how I became a heroine amidst all this)! Once, an actress backed out of Papa’s film, and he put me in it. Just like that, at 12, the acting bug bit me! But soon, Papa had two flops. Our tough time began, and my dream took a backseat.”

Anil made the national-award-winning films Jaya Bhaduri’s Kora Kagaz and Rakhee’s Tapasya. Rupali also said that she worked in a boutique, catered, waited tables during their tough times, and was a waiter at a party where her father was a guest.