The rupee fell by 16 paise to Rs 45.56 against the US dollar in early trade at the Interbank Foreign Exchange today, weighed down by the dollar's gains against other major currencies.

The rupee had plummeted by 46 paise to an almost two-week low of 45.40/41 against the US dollar in the previous session, with strong demand for the American currency from importers amid a decline in domestic equities.

Meanwhile, the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex rose by 65.54 points, or 0.33 per cent, to 19,713.31 in opening trade today.