Born on July 9, 1979, Urvashi Dholakia's hometown is Delhi. She is half-Gujarati, with her mother being a Punjabi and her late father a Gujarati. Urvashi Dholakia shot to fame as the antagonist Komolika in the popular television show Kasautii Zindagii Kay, almost two decades ago, but do you know she started off as a child artist? (All photos/Urvashi Dholakia's official Instagram page)

Urvashi Dholakia was always fascinated with the television world. As a kid, she used to tell her mother, Kaushal Dholakia, that she wants to act in shows and not simply watch others acting in it.

Urvashi Dholakia made her debut with Shri Adhikari Brothers' (SAB) Waqt Ki Raftar. She used to go to the sets from school and Mr Adhikari would ask her to go back and finish off her homework as soon as little Urvashi's shot was over. She also featured in the film Kab Tak Chup Rahungi in 1988. She was also part of Nadira Babbar's theatre group Ekjute.

Urvashi Dholakia's father was a pilot. In his remembrance, Urvashi had shared a post on Instagram, a while back. She wrote in her caption, "He always used to call himself the black sheep of the family considering everyone in my Dholakia clan is a doctor, but he chose to become a pilot. Keeping the black sheep of the family in mind, I continued the tradition and became an actor.. the first one in my family. I couldn't have done it without him being there. Though he never approved of my profession initially but later on realised that I'm his daughter and I am exactly like him. So the black sheep welcomed another black sheep and we lived happily ever after... And we still continue to live happily ever after in our memories. Wherever he is, I am always going to be there for him because I know he's always there for me. I'm blessed that I got a chance in this lifetime to be his daughter. Twinkle twinkle little star, daddy how I wonder how you are.. up above the world so high like a diamond in the sky. I will always love you, I will always miss you, it's been 10 years since you've left... but you'll keep shining like a star. I love you [sic]"

Urvashi Dholakia was 14 when she played Shilpa in popular sitcom Dekh Bhai Dekh. She even starred in Zamana Badal Gaya, where she played Tiku Talsania and Aruna Irani's daughter Anju.

In 2001, Urvashi Dholakia featured in one of the most popular daily soaps of that time - Kabhii Sautan, Kabhii Saheli, co-starring Anita Hassanandani and Pankit Thakker. Though the show was quite a hit, it did not give much boost to Urvashi's career as much as her next on-screen appearance as Komolika in Kasautii Zindagii Kay.

"The show which changed the way viewers saw Indian Television, gave them their most loved show and probably their most memorable vamp, Komolika. What it gave me was a decade full of love, recognization, and character that became synonymous with my name and me. It shaped me, changed me, taught me and most importantly thank you to each one of you, to @balajitelefilmslimited, @ektaravikapoor and @shobha9168 especially... Komolika became what she did because of you. Forever humble and grateful to god," wrote Urvashi in one of her posts on Instagram.

Arguably the biggest vamp on the small screen, even after two decades, people still remember the character that oozed so much negativity making her a cult figure. "I played Komolika in 2001 and people still talk about it. It feels great to see so much love from the audience has for that character even today. I feel humbled that I got an opportunity to play a character that has remained embedded in people's hearts over the years," Urvashi told IANS.

Meanwhile, Urvashi Dholakia also played a role in the TV show Mehendi Tere Naam Ki. The show holds a special place in the actress' heart. "One of my favourite shows and yes I say truly "Woh Bhi Kya Din The...." and aise din the which still bring a beautiful smile to my face today! Nothing better than being part of a good show with great co-actors and simplicity....yes its the simplicity of this one that truly makes it special! #MehendiTereNaamKi [sic]"

Back in the early 2000s, when Urvashi Dholakia made her debut on a magazine cover. "Firsts are always special and being on the first-ever edition of #Gr8 magazine was such a special moment! Throwback from the good old days!!! [sic]" - read Urvashi's caption, as she shared this on her Instagram page for her fans.

While her professional life was slowly taking off, Urvashi Dholakia was battling a tough time on the personal front as a single mother. She got married at 16 and gave birth to twins - Sagar and Kshitij. At 19, when on one hand she was getting noticed as an actress, Urvashi had a broken marriage.

In picture: "From my childhood to theirs... we promise to never let the child within us disappear. Together forever the crazy Dholakias," Urvashi with her kids.

Urvashi Dholakia toiled like crazy, what with working for 36 hours at a stretch, doing every possible thing to fulfil the role of a single parent.

In picture: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOSTTTT PRECIOUS @kshitijdholakia @sagardholakia The Day You Were Born, I Got a New Life!! [sic]," Urvashi captioned this picture.

On Rajeev Khandelwal's show Sachh Ka Saamna, Urvashi Dholakia revealed a lot about her personal life. She admitted to having almost turned into an alcoholic when things were rough. Urvashi was asked if she was thrown out of college for teenage pregnancy. Though she said no, the question itself raised many eyebrows.

But Urvashi, time and again, mentioned that she never thought about remarrying as she was too busy concentrating on raising her kids. Urvashi Dholakia and actor Anuj Sachdeva were in a blissful relationship for quite some time. However, this relationship too did not last. When the duo reunited for the dance reality show Nach Baliye, she clarified that she is not giving a second chance to her relationship with Anuj.

"If a chapter is over, it is not necessarily to reopen those pages. Why not start a new chapter and build a new relation? I believe two people who were in a relationship can remain good friends. There is nothing wrong with that," said Urvashi, adding that "moving on" is important in life.

"I am not in my twenties, so I do think a little differently now. I believe in mature living and don't like to hold grudges. Sometimes you have to move on to find happiness in life. That's what I did," she added.

Urvashi Dholakia has truly come a long way and her journey has been very inspiring. Here's wishing her a very happy birthday!