Rupali Ganguly gets emotional recalling her late father's dream of a Mumbai home

Television star Rupali Ganguly turned emotional on stage at FICCI Frames 2026 in Mumbai while speaking about her late father, filmmaker Anil Ganguly. The Anupamaa lead explained that the success of her show finally let her buy a home of her own, something her father always wanted but never managed in his lifetime.

Anil Ganguly directed films such as Kora Kagaz and Tapasya. Rupali recalled that in his time, filmmakers who worked outside the corporate setup often sold their homes to fund their films, and at one point the family lost everything. Owning a house in Mumbai, she said, was his only dream. Reports add that he passed away on January 15, 2016, at the age of 82.

Rupali openly called herself a "typical nepo kid", the daughter of a big filmmaker, but said this one wish of her father was the dream she most wanted to make real. In her words, "Anupamaa hua and maine apna pehla ghar khareeda", meaning that once Anupamaa happened, she bought her first house.

The show premiered in 2020, during the pandemic, and is said to be among the longest-running soaps on Hindi television. Rupali was already a familiar face before it, with reports noting her work in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, Sanjivani and the first season of Bigg Boss. Anupamaa reportedly marked her return to the small screen after a six-year break she took to raise her son.

Producer Rajan Shahi, who was also part of the session, reportedly shared memories of her early struggle. According to reports, she auditioned three times for his directorial debut, Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahi, after he first turned her down, and she used to walk from Worli because she could not afford the bus fare. Shahi said he was very proud of how far she has come.