Watch: Anupamaa actor Rupali Ganguly gets emotional recalling her struggling days

Rupali Ganguly pic via Instagram

Actor Rupali Ganguly broke down in tears while remembering her late father, filmmaker Anil Ganguly, and his father's long-standing wish to buy a house in Mumbai. At FICCI Frames 2026 in Mumbai on Wednesday (September 30), the actress recalled her family's tough times financially and how the success of her popular show Anupamaa eventually helped her fulfil her father's dream.

Rupali Ganguly gets emotional remembering her late father

Rupali shared that her family had to make tough financial choices while her father pursued his career as a filmmaker. She recalled how filmmakers at that period had to sell their homes to back their movies. Her family eventually struggled and lost everything, but her father's dream of owning a house in Mumbai remained.

Rupali got emotional, recalling, "My father was a filmmaker. In those times, those who were not into the corporate filmmaking business 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 calls herself a 'nepo kid'

She then also shared that despite being a daughter of a successful filmmaker, she wanted to establish something of her own while also fulfilling her dad's dream. Calling herself a 'nepo' kid, Rupali said, "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 bought my first home)." Anupamaa's popularity became a significant change in her career.

Anupamaa's producer Rajan Shahi, who was also there at the event, recalled Rupali's early struggles in the entertainment industry. He revealed how she was initially rejected while auditioning multiple times for their first show.

"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 said.

Rupali got emotional as Rajan recalled the phase, visibly holding back her tears.