Rupali Ganguly recalls being rejected by Rajan Shahi: He stopped my audition midway

Television superstar Rupali Ganguly recently opened up about facing rejection early in her career, recalling how filmmaker Rajan Shahi had initially turned her down in her initial days of audition.

In a candid conversation with Farah Khan on her YouTube vlog, Rupali spoke about her adventurous journey into television despite coming from a Bollywood film background.




Farah, who mentioned that she knew Rupali’s father, Anil Ganguly, was a well-known filmmaker and that Rupali had already done a few films, asked how her transition to television happened.

That’s when Rupali shared her story, saying, “I left everything and joined a catering college. I joined Dadar Catering and thought I would cook food there because the salary of a chef is good.”

She added, “But once the bug of acting bites you, it never leaves. I was doing theatre with Janak Toprani and Dinesh Kapoor. From there, I think Shobha De saw me and cast me for her show Sukanya. But before that show could start, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahi began, which was Rajan Shahi’s first directorial.”

“When I went for Rajan ji’s audition, I got rejected. He stopped my audition midway and said okay, fine. When I came out, I wondered what this was because there are so many people in line and you don’t even know what the role is. Later, I found out it was a double role. So I insisted on giving the audition again.”

She further added, “I went back the next day and asked for one more chance. He agreed and made me perform several scenes, around eight scenes over three to three-and-a-half hours, and then he finally cast me. That’s how my television journey began.”

The Sarabhai vs Sarabhai actress added that her journey has been long and consistent, saying, “My first show aired in 2000, so it’s been around 26 years. In between, I took a break of about six to six-and-a-half years because of my son, Rudransh.”

Talking about Rupali, the actress is best known for her role in the hit show Anupamaa, where she plays the titular character. Her dialogues and emotional scenes from the show frequently go viral on social media.

On the personal front, Rupali is married to Ashwin Verma, an advertising professional, and the couple are parents to a son, Rudransh. Her brother, Vijay Ganguly, is a prominent choreographer in Bollywood and is currently ruling the roost.