Rupali Ganguly Recounts Her Rise From Waiting Tables To Star Of Anupamaa

"I was once a waiter at a party where Papa was a guest," Rupali wrote

TV star Rupali Ganguly, who is a household name today, once waited tables. In a piece for Humans Of Bombay, she recalled her journey, her struggles and more. She also wrote about her father and late filmmaker Anil Ganguly too. "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 2 flops. Our tough time began, and my dream took a backseat. I did everything-worked in a boutique, catered, even waited tables. I was once a waiter at a party where Papa was a guest! I worked in ads, too-that's how I met my husband, Ashwin. He suggested that I try TV, and I thought, 'Why not'," she wrote in her post.

Her dad Anil Ganguly was best-known for directing films like Kora Kagaz (1974) and Tapasya (1975), both of which won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Writing about her father, she added, "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."

Rupali wrote about her breakout role in and wrote: "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.' He helped me better my craft."

Sarabhai vs Sarabhai was another milestone in Rupali's career. She wrote: "4 years later, Sarabhai happened. And none of us knew it'd be a hit, we were just having fun! Even now, Satish Kaka calls to check-up on me, and Ratna Ben brings presents for my son after every trip. We became a family on that show."