Ulka Gupta who is known for her portrayal of Manu in show Jhansi Ki Rani, is 19 now and is already a popular face in regional cinema. But in the glamour industry, her journey was not easy. She faced racism at the age of 7. In a recent interview to portal she talked about her journey and said,

"I was very passionate about acting but surprisingly at a very young age, I came across the dark side of our industry. After wrapping up Resham Dankh, my father and I used to go for the auditions on a daily basis. And every time, I was disappointed to see that the producers are looking for a fair girl. According to them, fair girl represents an up market girl. I was rejected so many times just for the sake of my dark skin. In fact, due to my complexion, I got a role of Saloni’s daughter in Saat Phere. Since, that show focused on the girl’s courage beyond her dark complexion; the casting directors finalised me. Otherwise, I was rejected most of the time. Surprisingly, after so many years, my casting agent still gets few requirements stating, ‘need a fair complexion girl’. Honestly, I have stopped going for such auditions. Fair hone se koi upmarket nahi dikhta. I want my talent to speak up for me and not the color of my skin."

She also added,"Can you believe that; at the age of 15, I was termed as tantrum queen? At the age of playing and enjoying work, I was surrounded by controversies and politics. While doing KHZAM, I was depressed. I was blamed as unprofessional towards my work which was totally false. Trust me; these negative reports did affect my health. I believe that at my growing age, I shouldn’t have been exposed to all these negativity. This was the reason; I did not take up any daily soap henceforth. I wanted to grow up in a normal atmosphere. My whole concentration is on the big screen now."
Now, she is a successful star. You Go girl!!!