Chikhlia, who became famous for her
role
as Goddess
Sita
in Ramanand Sagar’s ‘
Ramayan
‘ 36 years ago, revealed that she had approached
Raj Kapoor
to cast her in the lead role in his 1985
film
‘
Ram Teri Ganga Maili
‘. However, the actor-filmmaker refused to cast her because of her age.
In an interview with Dainik Bhaskar,
Dipika Chikhlia
revealed that during that period, she was involved in small second-person roles and was acting as a heroine in minor films, but she was not happy and felt like leaving the industry.
She recalled that the father of Raj Kapoor’s daughter Reema’s best friend, who was a friend of her father, informed her that Raj Kapoor was looking for a new face for a film and offered to speak to them about it.
Sharing the reason behind Raj Kapoor denying her the opportunity, she explained that when she went to meet him, he asked her age. Upon learning that she was 17 years old, he remarked that she was too young and told her that he would let her know his decision later.
After its release, ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’ generated significant controversy due to scenes featuring lead actor
Mandakini
breastfeeding and bathing in a transparent saree. Initially disappointed at not landing the role, Dipika Chikhlia later realized that missing out on the film was a blessing in disguise. If she had starred in the Raj Kapoor film, she might not have secured the iconic role of Sita in ‘Ramayan’.
The
actress
added that she had gone to watch a movie with her mother and was shocked after seeing it. She realised that she was grateful the matter did not progress, as she would have found it difficult to refuse. She realized that if she had done ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’, she would not have been able to become Sita in Ramayan.
‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’, was the last film directed by Raj Kapoor. It starred Rajiv Kapoor and Mandakini in the lead roles.
