Actor Rupali Ganguly saw the superwoman in her mother, Rajani Ganguly, for the first time after passing the 10th standard.

“Mumma said she wanted to complete her studies. Since she didn’t come from a well-off background, she had to give up her studies. So, she completed her graduation when I was studying too. That made me see my mum in a completely different light and I felt so proud of her,” says Rupali.

Mention it to her mum and Rajani quips, “People would tease me that I didn’t have any college degree. So I got a BA degree to shut everyone’s mouth.” Interestingly, Rajani also had a connect with showbiz, as she worked with the late choreographer Saroj Khan.

“Saroj used to work with Sohanlal (choreographer) master, and I, too, was there. I would just watch her dance and she’d often ask me to join. I was working in the group with them, and Saroj would take me along with her for choreographies. I worked on the (actor) Aruna Irani song Ae Phansa from Bobby (1973). I also did a lot of stage shows as a Lavani dancer with composer Vasan Desai. In director Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Aashirwad (1968), I did a solo Lavani act with (actor) Leela Gandhi as well,” she shares.

However, after marriage, Rajani decided to become a homemaker. “I had a dream to reach a point in my life, but I couldn’t fulfil that. But both my kids (daughter Rupali and son, choreographer Vijay Ganguly) fulfilled that for me,” she gushes.

The proud mother credits her daughter for not letting the difficulties in the journey faze her. “Rupali never let us feel her struggles. I used to feel bad that she did such amazing work in shows like Sanjivani, Parvarish and Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, still she never got an award. But today, every award is hers to take. People call me Rupali’s mum and that is enough for me. I have got everything I could have asked for,” Rajani says.

Rupali says, “My mom is a brilliant orator. She can give speeches effortlessly. She’d give speeches on women’s empowerment and a lot of it I imbibed for my character in Anupamaa.”

“Main bak-bak bahut karti hoon, aur Rupali bhi. I even asked my son-in-law once if there is someone writing all these great things she says, but he told me it’s all her.”