Who Is Dipika Chikhlia? TV's Sita To Attend Ram Temple Consecration

Dipika Chikhlia, best known as Sita from the beloved television program Ramayan (1987), arrived in Ayodhya on January 17 to witness the awaited Ram Mandir consecration happening this Monday. She is visiting with co-actors Arun Govil and Sunil Lahri who played Ram and Lakshman respectively in the Ramanand Sagar production. Chikhlia and the team were greeted with cheers from a large crowd of followers as well as a choreographed dance performance to welcome the trio. Fans who watched Ramayan consider Chikhlia, Govil, and Lahri a personified depiction of Sita, Ram and Lakshman and a big part of their younger life.

Speaking to Asian News International, Chikhlia said, "Our image has settled in the hearts of the people, even after the construction of Ram temple, I do not think there will be any change in it. Ram Lalla's life is being consecrated and people have given a lot of love. The characters of Ramayan will continue to receive similar love." 

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Who Is Dipika Chikhlia?

Actress Dipika Chikhlia was born on April 29, 1965, in Mumbai. Not much is known about her upbringing and educational journey. In 1991, Chikhlia got married to businessman Hemant Topiwala, who owns two renowned cosmetic brands-- Shringar Bindis and Tips and Toes Cosmetics. They have two daughters, Nidhi and Juhi.

Chikhlia made her acting debut in 1983 with a Bollywood movie called Sunn Meri Laila, opposite Raj Kiran. She played supporting roles for a few years she had a breakthrough with Vikram Aur Betaal (1986) by Ramanand Sagar, where she depicted the role of a princess. Soon, she was cast by Sagar in Ramayan in 1987, making her a household name in Indian cinema and television.

She played more lead roles in TV shows like The Sword of Tipu Sultan (1989) and Luv Kush (1989). Chikhlia has also acted in several Kannada, Malayalam, Bhojpuri, Bengali and Telugu films. Her Bengali film Asha O Bhalobasha (1989) with Prosenjit Chatterjee was a superhit, as well as her Kannada film Hosa Jeevana (1990) with Shankar Nag and Tamil film Naangal (1992) with Prabhu.

Chikhlia also performed in some recent TV serials with prominent roles. Her last Bollywood film was Bala (2019), led by actors Ayushmann Khurrana and Yami Gautam, in which Chikhlia played Gautam's mother. In August 2023, she put on the producer's hat for the TV show Dhartiputra Nandini.

Chikhlia also had a stint in politics as a Bharatiya Janata Party leader, which she had joined soon after Ramayan. She won the Baroda constituency and became a Member of Parliament in 1991. However, she discontinued her political career to focus on her family. 

"I knew exactly what I wanted in life and I do not regret anything. In fact, I delivered my daughter during my five-year tenure. After a point, I felt my daughter needed me and I didn't want to do anything something as part-time. It would have to be full-time, whether it was politics or being a mother," Chikhlia told the Times of India in a 2020 interview when Ramayan made a comeback to TV.