15 years of 'Pavitra Rishta': Ankita Lokhande says, 'Sushant Singh Rajput taught me how to act'

A still from Pavitra Rishta

‘Pavitra Rishta' aired from June 2009 to October 2014. It is an adaptation of the Tamil television series Thirumathi Selvam. Along with Ankita Lokhande, who played the memorable Archana, the show starred late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who played the endearing Manav. In late 2018, and later in 2020 after the death of Sushant, the series was rebroadcast. A web series titled 'Pavitra Rishta - It's Never Too Late' aired in September 2021 starring Ankita reprising her role as Archana and Shaheer Sheikh as Manav.

Ankita took to Instagram, sharing a clip of her journey from ‘Pavitra Rishta' to date, and penned a comprehensive post expressing her gratitude towards fans and remembering Sushant.

She wrote, "15 years ago, I started my journey as Archana in Pavitra Rishta. Little did I know that even after years, I will continue to get so much love for my role, which has even become my identity. I sometimes feel I was destined to be Archana. I had her in me, and I continue to have her in me. She has taught me a lot about life. I am forever indebted to @ektarkapoor @ek_ek_ekoo ma'am and @balajitelefilmslimited for giving me a role of a lifetime right in the beginning of my career. Main rahoon ya na rahoon, the love I have received, Archana and Pavitra Rishta has received from each one of you will keep me alive forever in your hearts, and I don't think there's anything more precious than that."

"But my journey wouldn't be complete if I didn't have Sushant's support. I didn't even know how to act when I started Pavitra Rishta. He taught me, and I will always be thankful for him. The show started a new kind of storytelling. Hindi television par Marathi culture ko dikhaya. Isse pehle kabhi koi aisa show aaya nahi tha. People could resonate with the show because of the innocence the show and the people involved in it had. And last but not the least, I would like to thank the television industry for giving me so much love. My first brush with fandom and stardom happened because of a television show, and I am always going to be thankful for that," she added.

Ankita and Sushant had dated each other for nearly six years before parting ways in 2016. Sushant breathed his last on June 14, 2020. He was found dead in his Mumbai apartment. Ankita married Vicky Jain in 2021.

(With inputs from Agencies)