Dipika Chikhlia

Dipika Chikhlia (born 29 April 1965) is an Indian actress and politician known for playing Sita in Ramanand Sagar's 1987 television series  Ramayan. She was also known for her debut film Sun Meri Laila (1983), opposite Raj Kiran and three Hindi films with Rajesh Khanna, which were Rupaye Dus Karod, Ghar Ka Chiraag and Khudai.

She did one Malayalam film Ithile Iniyum Varu (1986), with Mammootty, her Kannada hits were Hosa Jeevana (1990) with Shankar Nag and Indrajith (1989) with Ambareesh. She had one Tamil hit film, Nangal (1992), with Prabhu, and one Bengali hit film, Asha O Bhalobasha (1989), opposite Prosenjit Chatterjee.

Early career
Chikhlia made her debut as lead actress in Sun Meri Laila (1983), opposite Raj Kiran. Bollywood 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 horror film Cheekh (1986) and Raat Ke Andhere Mein (1987).

Success (1987-95)
Later in 1987, Chikhlia played the female lead role of Sita in Ramanand Sagar's television 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 Chiraag 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 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 after 1992, as Sanam Aap Ki Khatir (1992) flopped, which had her as main lead heroine, she only got supporting roles in Hindi films.

Later career
Chikhlia was also seen in the TV serial Chutta Chheda (2017) on Colors Gujarati channel. The Gujarati film Nattsamrat is to be released in August 2018 and she will be seen in her Hindi movie Gaalib (2018-2019). Dipika Chikhlia is working again.

She was last seen in the movie Bala (November 2019) as Pari's (Yami Gautam) mother. In the upcoming biopic of freedom fighter - Sarojini Naidu, she will be seen playing the role of her.

In August 2023, she has turned producer with the TV show Dhartiputra Nandini.

Politics
Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala followed up her television and film career with a move into politics, becoming a Member of Parliament in the Indian Lok Sabha from Baroda constituency in 1991 as a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate.

Personal Life
On 23 November 1991, Dipika married Hemant Topiwala, owner of Shingar Bindi and Tips and Toes Cosmetics. They have two daughters: Nidhi Topiwala and Juhi Topiwala.