Actress Kalpana Iyer, who recently staged a comeback to the arc lights after a video of her dancing to her iconic 1981 song Ramba Ho went viral, reflects on her decision to distance from the entertainment industry. She recalled that her decision was driven by dissatisfaction with the work coming her way.
Mulling over her television phase
Kalpana explained how the industry environment gradually transformed for her. Adding but then a lot of things changed. It all emerged on the same people, the same cliques. The actress wasn’t part of any clique, neither in the industry nor in television. And she wasn’t really comfortable with the kind of work she was getting. So what was the point in continuing?”
Kalpana, who shifted base to Dubai in the late 1990s, clarified that she was never unreachable and is now open to work again. When asked if she ever sought help from her Hum Saath Saath Hain co-star Salman Khan, known for supporting colleagues, she said she never did.
She hasn’t called anybody, not because she thinksvit’s wrong.
However Dubai isn’t so big that if you want to help me, you can’t find me. She isn’t going to be looking for somebody to tell that person to [cast her]. If you are an aware person, you are aware of my existence. And if you think that she deserve it, you will get across to me. And if you didn’t, which means she didn’t deserve it. We’ll leave it at that. She won’t blame anyone, and neither does she believe in negativity of any kind.
Kalpana further went on to reveal that she has now started receiving calls for reality shows and has been asked on the kind of roles she is comfortable doing. Her renewed visibility comes after a video of her dancing to Ramba Ho at a family function surfaced online. The song had topped charts after featuring in Dhurandhar and remains one of her most recognisable performances.
Kalpana featured in several popular films in the 1980s and 1990s, including Satte Pe Satta, Bade Dilwala, Hum Paanch, Laadla and Anjaam. She is especially remembered for playing Sangeeta in the superhit Hum Saath Saath Hain, where her character added tension to the film’s central family dynamic. Her last film appearance was in Dil Hi Dil Mein (1999).
She also had a steady television career, appearing in shows like Kashish, Junoon, Chandrakanta, Farmaan, Banegi Apni Baat and Margarita. Kalpana reportedly left Bollywood in 1999 and settled in Dubai, marking a quiet exit from an industry she now says she’s ready to engage with again—on her own terms.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”
News Edit KV Raman