Remember Ramanand Sagar Ramayan’s ‘Surpanakha’? The actress was paid Rs 30000 to cut off her nose, quit acting to work as…, her name is…

Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan, originally telecasted from January 1987 to July 1988, is considered the most-watched Indian television show even three decades after it ended. The show featured largely new or unknown characters in the lead roles such as Dipika Chikhlia, Sunil Lahri, and Arvind Trivedi, that later became household names following the show’s success.

Renu Dhariwal, who portrayed Ravana’s sister Surpanakha, one of the most popular characters in Ramayana, also rose to fame. Even though, she starred in just four out of 78 episodes, she still captivated audiences with her performance in the mythological serial.

The actress once shared the back story regarding how she got the role of Shurpanakha in Ramayan. In an earlier interaction with Indian Express, Renu recalled, “I come from a conservative Punjabi family, the kind that would never allow their daughters to enter showbiz. But I wanted to be an actor, a decision my Bengali mother supported. Without telling my father the real reason for moving to Bombay, I came here and joined Roshan Taneja’s acting classes, where Govinda was my classmate. After that, I started to work in theatre. That’s where Papaji (Ramanand Sagar) saw me.”

She further added, “He saw me play a mother in a play called Purush. When he realised I was a young girl, he was impressed and asked me to audition for Surpanakha’s role. Surpanakha is the sister of a powerful warrior and scholar, Raavan. She is a princess and a shapeshifter, and the one who becomes the trigger for the most famous battle in Hindu mythology. I didn’t see any reason to let go of the opportunity.”

Renu was paid Rs 30000 for her portrayal of Surpanakha in Ramayan. Morever, she also received several work opportunities following the show’s success. During the same interaction, she recalled, “It got me roles in BR Chopra’s teleseries Chunni, Surinder Singh’s National Award-winning Punjabi film Marhi da Deewa and also Hema Malini’s directorial debut Dil Aashna Hai, before I gave it all up for a career in politics.”

Renu Dhariwal gave up her acting career after marriage, and now currently lives in Mumbai with her husband and a son. After taking a step back from films, she ventured into politics, and now works actively for Congress Party. Moreover, she also helps her husband in his real estate business. Besides this, she also operates two NGOs for women and child care.

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