Roopa, an artiste for all seasons

Roopa, an artiste for all seasons

The multi-faceted actor on her second coming in Mumbai, her husband and other quests

She may always carry the halo of Draupadi ('Mahabharat') around her, but actor Roopa Ganguly doesn't consider it to be a deterrent. In fact, she says referring to the epic show of the 80s, "It worked for me. It was a beautiful experience. I enjoyed the huge exposure I got."

Bollywood blues
Quiz her on why she didn't make a natural progression to Bollywood, considering the cult status she had achieved with the show and she states, "I never got the roles that I wanted here. I was expected to wear skirts and dance. Dancing isn't my strength. I couldn't jell with the work schedules. It would take five years to make a film. I got absolutely tired."

Deeply entrenched in the ethos of Kolkata, the Bengali actor adds, "I felt homesick. I felt lonely in Mumbai. Though I'm a very transparent person, I could not understand people here. They would sweet talk to me. I didn't have the necessary smartness and often my roles would get cut." Termed as 'the Shabana Azmi of Tollywood', the actor however has an impressive filmography in the eastern industry.

Telly tales
Though Roopa was part of TV shows including 'Kanoon', 'Parampara' and 'Parivartan' in the 90s, she withdrew from the scene, only to resurface years later with Balaji shows 'Karam Apnaa Apnaa' and 'Kasturi' (both on Star Plus) and Anurag Basu's 'Love Story' (SAB)."

"I liked the glamorous role in 'Karam Apna Apna'. I accepted 'Kasturi' because it was an interesting role of an anpadh but worldly wise Punjabi mother. In 'Love Story', I play a working woman who is separated from her husband (Harsh Chaya). Subsequently, her son is a disturbed personality," she explains. Incidentally, Roopa is also playing a cameo in Anjan Dutt's Englsih film 'Bow Barracks Forever'.

DNA