‘Modiji remaining healthy and happy is something I pray for all the time.’

IMAGE: Anupamaa star Rupali Ganguly joined the Bharatiya Janata Party recently. Photograph: Kind courtesy Rupali Ganguly/Instagram

Rupali Ganguly, whose Anupamaa has made her a household name in many north Indian homes, laughs off rumours of her exit from her signature serial in this interview with Subhash K Jha.

You recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Yes, it was a very big deal for me, you know meeting PM Modiji, then joining the BJP was also a big moment for me.

Would you say that was the highlight of the year for you?

Anupamaa doing well throughout the year was also a highlight.

My family is happy, healthy, that is again one of the biggest highlights. But on the downside, losing my mother-in-law, that was the only thing last year that was the downside.

When you lose an elder, when you lose a mother, the protector, the custodian, the umbrella is gone from over your head.

IMAGE: Rupali Ganguly calls on BJP President J P Nadda in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo /span>

The rest has all been one big sweep of joy?

Rest it has been a great year. You know, I haven’t been able to watch any films recently. I watch a lot of Anupamaa.

I watch a lot of other shows on Star Plus because that is my job, and I watch animation. I loved Moana.

Any regrets?

No, nothing as such. I just think I should learn to keep my mouth shut in interviews or not give interviews at all.

I think that’s one thing that I should learn because I have no filter and you know, I should understand that I can’t keep shooting my mouth off.

IMAGE: Rupali Ganguly greeted by BJP General Secretary Vinod Tawde, centre, and party national Chief Spokesperson Anil Baluni after joining the party. Photograph: Rahul Singh/ANI Photo

What are you looking forward to this year?

First and foremost, I look forward to my family’s health and their happiness, then my unit’s well-being, good work, do some great scenes, great work. And yes, a lot of work towards the welfare of fur babies.

So that is something that I look forward to, to get closer to my dream of having my dream animal shelter. Because as long as you don’t live in it yourself, you have to be there with the kids yourself. And the dream I know I have, you know, it’s soon going to be a reality and that is the goal to work towards it.

To do more work for the fur babies and to make my family proud of me and all the people that I love should remain healthy and happy.

Your closing thoughts?

God bless everybody, God bless everybody.

My India should be shining and it should grow leaps and bounds under the supervision, under the leadership of Shri Narendra Modi.

India is shining and it has to shine even brighter.

Modiji remaining healthy and happy is also something I pray for all the time. So yes, Jai Mata Di, Jai Mahakaal.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com