Dipika Chikhlia: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Indian actress}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}

| birth_date          =  

| office              = [[Member of Parliament]], [[Lok Sabha]]

| predecessor        = [[Prakash Brahmbhatt]]

'''Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala''' is an Indian actress known for playing Devi [[Sita]] in [[Ramanand Sagar]]'s television series ''[[Ramayan (1987 TV series)|Ramayan]]''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://entertainment.in.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3219065 |title=Archived copy |access-date=13 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090915175026/http://entertainment.in.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3219065 |archive-date=15 September 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and for acting in other Indian TV serials. She was also known for her debut film ''Sun Meri Laila'' (1983), opposite [[Raj Kiran (Bollywood actor)|Raj Kiran]] and three Hindi films with [[Rajesh Khanna]], which were ''[[Rupaye Dus Karod]]'', ''[[Ghar Ka Chiraag]]'' and ''[[Khudai]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/ramayans-sita-aka-dipika-chikhalias-real-life-wedding-was-attended-by-this-bollywood-superstar-see-pic/articleshow/75369401.cms |title=Ramayan's Sita aka Dipika Chikhalia's real life wedding was attended by this Bollywood superstar; see pic - Times of India}}</ref> She did one Malayalam film ''[[Ithile Iniyum Varu]]'' (1986), with [[Mammootty]], her Kannada hits were ''[[Hosa Jeevana]]'' (1990) with [[Shankar Nag]] and ''[[Indrajith (1989 film)|Indrajith]]'' (1989) with [[Ambarish]]. She had one Tamil hit film, ''Nangal'' (1992), with [[Prabhu (actor)|Prabhu]], and one Bengali hit film, ''[[Asha O Bhalobasha]]'' (1989), opposite [[Prosenjit Chatterjee]].

Chikhlia made her debut as lead actress in ''Sun Meri Laila'' (1983), opposite [[Raj Kiran (Bollywood actor)|Raj Kiran]]. Chikhalia was part of the television serial ''Dada Daadi Ki Kahani'' in 1985. She meanwhile did supporting roles in hit films like ''Bhagwan Dada'' (1986), ''Kala Dhanda Goray Log'' (1986) and ''Doorie'' (1989) and played lead heroine in the B grade horror  film ''Cheekh'' (1986) and ''Raat Ke Andhere Mein'' (1987).{{Citation needed|date= February 2022}}

Later in 1987, Chikhlia played the female lead role of [[Sita]] in [[Ramanand Sagar]]'s television series ''[[Ramayan (1987 TV series)|Ramayan]]''. Before starring in Ramayan, she was the part of Ramanand Sagar's ''[[Vikram Aur Betaal]]''. She continued getting lead roles in hit TV serials like ''The Sword of Tipu Sultan'' and ''Luv Kush'' (both in 1989). Her only hits in Hindi films were ''Ghar Ka Chiraag'' (1989) and ''Rupaye Dus Karod'' (1991), both of which had [[Rajesh Khanna]] in the lead. She got more footage in the film ''Khudai'', but the film was a commercial failure in 1994. She played the romantic lead of Rajesh Khanna in two films, ''[[Ghar Ka Chirag]]'' and ''[[Khudai]]''. Her Kannada film as the lead heroine opposite [[Shankar Nag]] was a box office hit in 1990 and her Bengali films ''[[Asha O Bhalobasha]]'' (1989), opposite [[Prosenjit Chatterjee]] and Tamil film ''[[Naangal]]'' (1992) opposite [[Prabhu (actor)|Prabhu]] were box office hits. She also got a supporting role in a Malayalam movie, ''Ithile Iniyum Varu'' (1986), which had [[Mammootty]] in the lead. She met with limited success in Hindi films in the after 1992, as ''Sanam Aap Ki Khatir'' (1992) flopped, which had her in as main lead heroine, she only got supporting roles in Hindi films.{{Citation needed|date= February 2022}}

Chikhlia followed up her television and film career with a move into politics, becoming a Member of Parliament in the Indian [[Lok Sabha]] from [[Vadodara (Lok Sabha constituency)|Baroda constituency]] in 1991 as a [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] candidate.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/television/celebrity/story/remember-deepika-chikhalia-tv-original-sita-ramayan-heres-what-she-doing-now-lifetv-1084346-2017-11-11 |title=Remember Deepika Chikhalia, TV's original Sita? Here's what she's doing now |date=11 November 2017 |website=India Today |language=en-US |access-date=12 March 2018}}</ref>

She was last seen in the movie ''[[Bala (2019 film)|Bala]]'' (November 2019) as Pari's ([[Yami Gautam]]) mother.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/bala-a-cracker-of-a-film-powered-by-hair-apparent-ayushmann-khurrana/cid/1717854 |title='Bala': A cracker of a film, powered by 'hair' apparent Ayushmann Khurrana |website=www.telegraphindia.com |language=en |access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref> In the upcoming biopic of freedom fighter - [[Sarojini Naidu]], she will be seen playing the role of her.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ramayan's 'Sita' Dipika Chikhlia set to play Sarojini Naidu; shares first look |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/ramayans-sita-dipika-chikhalia-set-to-play-sarojini-naidu-shares-first-look/articleshow/75617428.cms |access-date=8 May 2020 |work=The Times of India |date=8 May 2020}}</ref>

She is married to Hemant Topiwala,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://khabridost.in/deepika-chikhalia |title=Deepika Chikhalia |website=khabridost.in |language=en-us |access-date=12 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313092937/https://khabridost.in/deepika-chikhalia |archive-date=13 March 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> owner of Shingar Bindi and Tips and Toes cosmetics.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=313168119&capId=79068793&previousCapId=&previousTitle= |title=Hemant Topiwala: Executive Profile & Biography - Bloomberg |website=www.bloomberg.com |access-date=12 March 2018}}</ref> They have two daughters, Nidhi Topiwala and Juhi Topiwala.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=CAP/2009/09/20&ViewMode=GIF&GZ=T&PageLabel=12&EntityId=Pc01211&AppName=1 |title=Where are they now? Deepika Chikhalia |access-date=21 November 2009}}</ref>