Kartika Rane – Popular Hindi television actress of ‘Ek Se Badkar Ek’ and ‘Captain Vyom’ fame

Kartika Rane is an actress associated with Hindi television and cinema. She is a former model too. She is associated with some of the nostalgic Doordarshan shows of 1990s such as Ek Se Badkar Ek and Captain Vyom. She played lead role in 1996 Bollywood movie, Yash and gained popularity through TV shows like Kangan, Hum Pardesi Ho Gaye, Tere Mere Sapne, The Great Maratha etc. She is only a seasonal film actress and best known for her small screen roles. Yet she made appearance in Marathi films – Saatchya Aat Gharat and Hulla.

Kartika Devi Rane was born into a rich family in Goa in 1977. She has two sisters. While doing sociology at Sophia College, Mumbai she started her modeling career in the mid-1990s. She also appeared in tele-advertising after which she got the big break in a lead role through the countdown show, Ek Se Badkar Ek, produced by B. R. Chopra. The show with comedy elements, quite similar to a sitcom was aired for the first time in January 1995 on Doordarshan. The show also starred veteran Bollywood comedians – Asrani and Jagdeep.

Kartika also gained immense popularity through the show, Captain Vyom. She played the lead role of Lieutenant Maya, aside Milind Soman who played the titular role. However her film career was not successful and she concentrated on her television journey. Her role of a princess in TV soap Kangan was well received. Gubare, Didi Ka Dulha, Mom Ke Par, Khwaab and Janam are a few more shows. She has appeared in the ads of Rin, Fair & Lovely, Forhans toothpaste, Vim, Dulux etc.

Kartika Rane – Some interesting and less-known facts

1. As she was born into a rich family, money was not the factor which prompted her to join entertainment industry. Acting is only her hobby. In fact she never went in search of roles, but they came her way.

2. She is the niece of ex-Chief Minister of Goa Pratapsingh Rane.

3. Her cousin, Madhavrao Scindia was a well-known Congress politician.

4. Her debut show Ek Se Badkar Ek also marked the screen debut of Bollywood actor, Mukul Dev, who tries to impress the actress throughout the series.

5. She got a chance to meet Mukesh Anand, who got bowled down by her looks and casted her in the female lead of Ek Se Badkar Ek. After his death, the show was then taken over by B.R. Films and directed by Ravi Chopra.

6. Ek Se Badkar Ek is a ghost-comedy show, where the actress comes to live in a haunted house. She, along with the neighbours made it a wonderful comedy entertainer in the second half of 1990s. Later some of the actors were replaced for the show.

7. After her debut show, she got several offers for comedy shows and sitcoms. However the actress for different kind of roles as she didn’t want to get type casted.

8. She was the face of several leading brands of 1990s, and had a very successful modeling career before she completely switched to television.

9. ‘Subah Subah Jab Khidki Khole’ – the popular song of movie Yash featured Kartika Rane.

10. She was finalized for Mukesh Bhatt’s ‘Tumko Meri Kasam’ opposite Anil Kapoor in the early 2000s. But the role later went to Rani Mukerji. Interestingly Anil opted out, the role went to Aftab Shivdasani, and later the movie got shelved.