Flashback Friday: An artist getting the same fame on the small screen as Amitabh Bachchan got on the big screen is exactly like a street cricket player getting fame like Sachin Tendulkar. Only a few people have been able to accomplish such a feat. One of them is Deepika Chikhalia or rather ‘Maa Janaki’.
The serial ‘Ramayana’ which came in 1987 became a classic. While things like action were being liked in films, Ramanand Sagar’s ‘Ramayana’ acted as an institution to teach moral values to children, elderly and especially the youth. In this serial, both Arun Govil and Deepika Chikhalia were seen in the roles of Ram and Sita. After this, this role had such an impact on both of their lives that people started looking at these two actors like Ram and Sita. Our Talked about in a previous Flashback Friday. Therefore, today let’s talk about Sita i.e. Deepika Chikhaliya.
How did she get the role in Ramayana?
Deepika Chikhaliya, during her interview in ‘Aamne-Saamne’, told many things related to casting her in the role of Sita. He told how he got this role. Deepika told that she was shooting serials like ‘Dada Dadi Kahani’ and ‘Vikram Betal’ for Ramanand Sagar. The shooting of one of these was going on at Ramanand Sagar’s house. Then he got a call from Ramanand Sagar.
Deepika tells that Ramanand Sagar told me to come while the screentest is going on. When Deepika reached there, there were about 30-40 more girls who had come for the screentest. After this, there was a screen test again out of which many girls were eliminated. But one of the girls who survived was Deepika. Even after this, more screen tests were conducted for selection and Deepika passed all of them. Even after this, Deepika tells that but I was not told clearly what happened, but after a few days I was told that come, you will become Sita."text-align: justify;">Before becoming Sita, Deepika had also worked in B grade films.
Before Deepika got recognition as Sita, she had been a part of many films. Deepika made her debut in 1983 with ‘Sun Meri Laila’. After this, he also worked in B grade horror films named ‘Cheekh’ and ‘Raat Ke Andare Mein’. A bathtub scene was also filmed on her in these films. Both these films were released in 1983 and 1987. Then Deepika did not get recognition, because the films could not be counted among the successful films. However, her whole life changed after the role of Maa Janaki in Ramayana. However, during and after Ramayana, he did films with actors like Chunky Pandey and Rajesh Khanna, but they proved unsuccessful.
Deepika’s feet were touched not only by children but also by the elderly.
Deepika had told during the interview that after playing the character of Sita, not only children but also the elderly started touching her feet. He told that in the beginning I used to be very nervous, because people of my grandfather’s age started touching my feet thinking that they were Maa Sita. But later everything became normal. Recently, during an interview, she had also told that even today, many times people still see her in the form of Mother Sita. Of course, it is not the same as before, but still sometimes it happens that people start touching his feet.
Whatever she inaugurated would become a hit
Deepika had also told during the ‘Aamne-Saamne’ interview that after the role of Sita, people would invite her to their shops or Started calling for the inauguration of films. She also told that it is by the grace of God that whatever she inaugurates becomes a hit. Be it a shop or a movie.
The popularity of the MP was such that she won by getting twice the votes of the veteran Congress leader. Deepika had also contested elections from Bharatiya Janata Party in 1991 and was also elected MP from Vadodara seat. His popularity was such that he defeated the strong candidate standing in front of him in the election at the age of just 26. In front of him was Ranjit Singh Gaikwad of Congress, who had also been a Congress MP twice. But when Deepika was put in front of them, people gave importance to Mother Sita instead of Ranjit Singh. Deepika got about 49 percent votes and this was a big thing for BJP because for the first time the lotus bloomed in the Congress stronghold because of Deepika.
Deepika is one of the few actors who was buried in Ayodhya Ram Mandir has been invited to the consecration ceremony. He also shared this good news with everyone by sharing the invitation card.