Late legendary actress, Nirupa Roy's entry into the film business is still one of the most interesting debut stories of all time. Details inside!
Born as Kokila Kishorechandra Bulsara in the Valsad district of Gujarat on January 4, 1931, Nirupa Roy was not just one of the greatest actresses of all time but was also referred to by many as the 'Queen of Misery' in the Indian cinema. In a career spanning five decades, Nirupa Roy had worked with some of the greatest names of Hindi cinema and with more than 275 movies to her name, she was one of the leading actresses of her generation.
During the 1940s and 1950s, the late legendary actress, Nirupa Roy had engraved her status as one of the most respected actresses in Indian cinema after she had worked in a record of 40 religious films. According to the reports, people used to visit Nirupa's home and used to wait in queues for hours, just to see her once. It is also said that many people used to touch her feet to show their immense respect towards her. The reason behind it was her exceptional acting talent of getting into the skin of the roles she had played in the religious films. However, not many people are aware of the interesting story behind her entry into the films. So, without further ado, let's jump straight into it!
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In an interview with the Filmfare Magazine back in 1983, Nirupa Roy had opened up about the incident that led to her entry into the film business. However, before revealing details about the same, the actress had revealed that her parents weren't a big fan of cinema. When Nirupa was asked to reveal the prime factor behind the hate, her parents had in their minds for films. To this, the actress had clearly stated that her mother and father used to call cinema a 'corrupting influence'. The iconic actress had said:
"I hadn't seen a film till I got married. My parents believed films were a corrupting influence. So only after coming to Bombay did I get to know what films were. So only after coming to Bombay did I get to know what films were."
Going further in the interview, Nirupa Roy had recalled the interesting incident when she had gone to a film's audition with her husband, Kamal Roy, who wanted to be an actor. The actress had added that the auditions were for a Gujarati film, and at the end of the day, her husband got rejected, but it was she who was offered a role in the film. In her words:
"In 1946 Vishnu Kumar Vyas advertised for new artistes for his Gujarati film, Ranak Devi. My husband applied for a role, and I went along with him for the interview. He didn't get a role but I was told they'd take me on as the heroine of the film."
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At the end of the interview, when Nirupa Roy was asked to reveal her husband, Kamal Roy's reaction to the director's decision to reject him and to offer a role to his wife, who had not even thought about becoming an actress at that time. Answering this, Nirupa had stated that instead of her, it was her husband who had advised her to grab the opportunity without even thinking twice. The actress had said:
"My husband agreed on the spot. I had to comply to his wishes. The role I had been offered eventually went to another actress, Anjana. I don't know what happened. I just, ended up in a small role with one good scene. It was a bitter first experience. Mr. Vyas gave me my screen name."
The legendary actress had worked in numerous films, but some of her most famous movies are Munimji, Chhaya, Shehnai, Deewar, Amar Akbar Anthony, and Lal Baadshah. Sadly on October 13, 2004, Nirupa had passed away due to a severe cardiac arrest at the age of 73 in Mumbai.
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Nirupa Roy and Kamal Roy were blessed with two kids, Yogesh Roy and Kiran Roy.