Rupali Ganguly gets emotional recalling late father’s dream of owning a Mumbai house

Actress Rupali Ganguly got teary-eyed as she spoke about her late father, veteran filmmaker Anil Ganguly, at FICCI Frames 2026 in Mumbai. Speaking at the event, the actress opened up about her family’s financial struggles and recalled how her journey with Anupamaa eventually helped her fulfil her father’s long-standing dream of owning a house in Mumbai. The ‘Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’ actress also opened up about the financial hardships her father experienced during his career as a filmmaker.

Rupali stated, “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 Ganguly’s father, Anil Ganguly, was a prominent filmmaker and screenwriter in Hindi cinema. He died on January 15, 2016, aged 82. Over the course of his career, he directed several notable films, including the National Award-winning “Kora Kagaz,” “Tapasya,” and “Saaheb.” Ganguly also reflected on being raised in a family with a prominent filmmaker as her father.

Addressing the perception that she is a “nepo kid”, Rupali acknowledged the tag but emphasized her desire to establish an identity through her own work. “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).” Anupamaa producer Rajan Shahi, who was also present at the event, shared an insight into Rupali Ganguly’s early days in the industry.

Recalling their first professional collaboration, he said the actress had to audition three times for the project before eventually being selected. Shahi also spoke about the financial difficulties Rupali was facing during that phase of her career. He recalled that she would sometimes walk from Worli to avoid spending money on 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,” Rajan Shahi said.

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