Ragini Dwivedi has never fitted neatly into one box. For years, she was branded the Thuppada Bedagi of Kannada cinema, a tag that followed her through hit songs, commercial films, and glossy appearances. But as she marked 15 years in the industry, Ragini did not choose nostalgia or celebration. Instead, she spoke with unsettling honesty about love given, support missing, and the cost of standing alone.
“I don’t even know where to begin,” Ragini admitted at the event, her voice wavering. Acting, she said, was never part of the plan. As a young girl, she wanted to be a sportsperson. Cinema entered her life almost by accident, through modelling, and Veera Madakari became her first step into Kannada films. “I didn’t even know the industry then,” she said, hinting at how unprepared she was for what lay ahead.
What followed was success, visibility, and eventually, silence. “I saw many difficult days, and during those times, no one stood beside me,” Ragini said. She described the Kannada film industry as her home, yet admitted that the warmth she expected never fully came. “I gave my life, my love, my name to this industry. Even today, when I go elsewhere, I still promote Sandalwood. But the kind of support you expect from your own home was missing.”
Her words carried extra weight given the past few years. Ragini faced a period that tested her freedom, identity, and strength in ways that no script could prepare her for, and only recently was she able to reclaim herself. The relief, however, did not erase the emotional scars. “There were good days, yes. But in the worst days, I was alone,” she said, adding that those experiences reshaped her outlook on life.
Though not originally from Karnataka, Ragini pointed out that she learned the language, embraced the culture, and stayed loyal to the industry. Interestingly, Ragini chose reflection over resentment. “I have seen enough hardship to understand that accepting negativity is as important as holding on to positivity,” she said. She also spoke about vulnerability, a subject rarely addressed in public by actors. “Showing strength is important, but showing weakness is equally important. That is why I broke down today.”