Ragini Shah is an Indian film, stage and television actress, and a veteran of

Gujarati theatre Gujarati theatre refers to theatre performed in the Gujarati language, including its dialects. Gujarati theatre is produced mainly in Gujarat and Maharashtra, in cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Baroda, Surat and else where Gujarati diaspora ...

. She had numerous supporting roles on

Indian television The television industry in India is very diverse and produces thousands of programs in many of the Indian languages. More than half of all Indian households own a television. As of 2016, the country had over 857 channels of which 184 were pay ...

, with her portrayal of Dugba in the daily Hindi soap '' Saraswatichandra'' being one of the most remembered.

Career

Shah has appeared in more than 50 Gujarati films. She is also a director. Due to repetitive roles and financial limitations in the Gujarati industry, she moved to Mumbai, where she took part in some Hindi television serials and live performances. There she appeared in the lead role in the Gujarati-language TV drama, ''Moti Baa'' which was aired on ETV Gujarati. Ragini also has numerous Hindi TV dramas to her credit. She made her debut with a supporting role in ''

Chanakya Chanakya (Sanskrit: चाणक्य; IAST: ', ; 375–283 BCE) was an ancient Indian polymath who was active as a teacher, author, strategist, philosopher, economist, jurist, and royal advisor. He is traditionally identified as Kauṭilya ...

'' in the early 1990s on

Doordarshan Doordarshan (abbreviated as DD; Hindi: , ) is an Indian public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of Prasar Bharati's two divisions. One of India's largest b ...

. She appeared as Rashmi Shekhar Nanavati in the Hindi serial '' Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka'' on

Sony TV Sony Television, Sony TV, or Sony HD may refer to any of the following television-related products from Japanese conglomerate Sony: * Television sets designed and manufactured by Sony Corporation in Japan ** Trinitron, television hardware brand (19 ...

in 1999, which remains to date one of the most popular comedy-dramas on

. In 2001, she bagged a role in '' Chandan Ka Palna Resham Ki Dori'', which was followed by a series of supporting and motherly roles in various Hindi soap operas. Shah is widely remembered for her role of Dugba in the romantic drama '' Saraswatichandra'' (2013–14), which was based on a novel of the same name; as well her portrayal of Maasa in ''

Diya Aur Baati Hum ''Diya Aur Baati Hum'' () is an Indian television soap opera that aired on Star Plus from 29 August 2011 to 10 September 2016 completing 1,487 episodes. Produced under Shashi Sumeet Productions. It starred Anas Rashid and Deepika Singh. Set ...

'' (2011–16), which remains one of the highet-rated shows on Indian television. She had a role in ''Harun Arun'' (2009), under the direction of Vinod Ganatra. Shah has also performed live all across India, as well in the UK and the USA. From May 2017 to May 2018, Shah portrayed a parallel lead role of Dayavanti Mehta in ''

Naamkarann ''Naamkarann'' () is an Indian drama television series which premiered 12 September 2016 on Star Plus. Inspired by the 1998 Bollywood film '' Zakhm'', it was based on the life of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. The show initially starred child actor A ...

'' on

Star Plus StarPlus is an Indian Hindi language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly ''Star India''), a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. The network's programming consists of family dramas, comedie ...

. Producer

Mahesh Bhatt Mahesh Bhatt (born 20 September 1948) is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter known for his works in Hindi cinema. A stand-out film from his earlier period is '' Saaransh'' (1984), screened at the 14th Moscow International Film ...

approached Shah for the role, after the sudden demise of veteran actress

Reema Lagoo Reema Lagoo (born Nayan Bhadbhade; 21 June 1958 – 18 May 2017) was an Indian theatre and screen actress known for her work in Hindi and Marathi cinema. She began her acting career in the Marathi theatre, after which she became a household na ...

, who was previously playing the same role.Ragini Shah to play Dayavanti Mehta’s role made famous by Reema Lagoo in Naamkarann: Know more about Gujarati actress!
/ref> Since February 2021, she is playing the role of Jaya Rao in

's '' Mehndi Hai Rachne Waali''.

Personal life

Ragini is married to actor-director Deepak Gheewala, with whom she worked with in the drama ''

Gulaal Gulal or abir ( bn, আবীর) or abhir ( or, ଅଭୀର) is the traditional name given to the coloured powders used for the typical Hindu rituals, in particular for the Holi festival or Dol Purnima (though commonly associated with the r ...

''. Gheewala has directed Gujarati shows like ''Jo Jo Moda Na Padta'' and ''Grahan'', among others.

Filmography

Television

* 1991

as Chanakya's mother *2001 Chandan Ka Palna Resham Ki Dori as Mrs. Janki Bhimani * 2011-2016

as Maa Saa *2013-2014 Saraswatichandra as Dubga Shahastrar *2017

as Dayawanti Mehta *2021 Mehndi Hai Rachne Waali as Jaya Rao

Selected films

* '' Daku Rani Ganga'' (1976, debut Gujarati film) * ''Harun Arun'' (2009, Gujarati) * '' Hardik Abhinandan'' (2016, Gujarati film) * ''Dada Ho Dikari'' - Gujarati film

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shah, Ragini 1958 births Living people 21st-century Indian actresses 20th-century Indian actresses Actresses in Gujarati cinema Actresses in Hindi television Actresses from Mumbai Indian film actresses Indian television actresses Indian soap opera actresses Indian stage actresses