Rupali Ganguly demands National Awards for TV artistes, says Smriti Irani’s return can make a difference

The 71st National Film Awards recently created a buzz on social media, as actors like Shah Rukh Khan (Best Actor for Jawan), Rani Mukerji (Best Actress for Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway) and Vikrant Massey (Best Actor for 12th Fail), among others were honoured for their performances. While the film industry celebrated its moment of glory, television star Rupali Ganguly, best known for playing the lead role in Anupamaa, voiced a powerful concern: why is Indian television still overlooked at the National Awards?

Rupali Gnguly demands National Awards for television industry

In a conversation with paparazzi account Viral Bhayani, Ganguly said, “There are National Awards for everyone from film stars to content creators. But there’s nothing for TV artistes. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, others had the advantage of delaying their shooting schedules, but we kept working. When a film star works continuously, it makes headlines. But no one talked about how we, the TV artists, worked non-stop from 6 am to 6 pm during the pandemic. I request the government to consider us also. We work very hard; it’ll be nice to have some validation.”

Rupali Ganguly on Smriti Irani’s comeback

Rupali further hoped that Smriti Irani’s comeback might take the TV industry towards that direction and added, “Smriti Irani returned to TV with the new version of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, and it’s airing on the same channel as my show. I am very proud that Smriti ji returned to TV, it’s such a big validation. Her comeback will make a lot of difference, and it will bring all the eyes back to television.

Smriti Irani, who originally rose to fame with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, has returned to the screen with a reboot of the iconic Ektaa Kapoor show. The comeback has left fans nostalgic, and the new version is already receiving considerable love from viewers. The show also stars Hiten Tejwani, Amar Upadhyay, Gauri Pradhan, and Kamalika Guha Thakurta, among others.

Meanwhile, Anupamaa continues to dominate the TRP charts for the fifth consecutive year, with Rupali’s performance as the titular character making her a household name. While there were rumours of a rift between the teams of Anupamaa and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Rupali and producer Ektaa Kapoor have dismissed the speculation and urged fans not to compare the two shows.