Vicky Jain with Ankita Lokhande. (courtesy: lokhandeankita)
Actress Ankita Lokhande, best known for her iconic role as Archana in the TV show Pavitra Rishta, is one of the top contenders for the Bigg Boss trophy this season. However, the actress' journey in the Bigg Boss house has been anything but smooth, compounded only by the fact that her husband, businessman Vicky Jain entered the show with her as a fellow contestant. The constant arguments between the couple during the show have trained the lens on their marriage. In a special move, the makers also brought Ankita and Vicky's mothers on the show for an intervention. While their marriage has been the subject of numerous social media posts and Reddit threads, one aspect of Ankita's past that has grabbed headlines since her entry on the show is her relationship with late actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Ankita has often been spotted referring to their relationship, their breakup and even his controversial death. For context, Ankita Lokhande and Sushant Singh Rajput were in a relationship for seven years before breaking up in 2016. Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his residence in Mumbai in June 2020.
This, in turn, has led to Ankita's mother, Vandana Lokhande and Vicky's mother, Ranjana Jain, also speaking about the late actor. The Internet has been largely divided on Ankita's choice to talk about her past relationship while on the show with her husband. While one section deems it her right to speak about all aspects of her life, several viewers have accused Ankita of using Sushant's anecdotes for sympathy, a belief shared by Vicky's mother as well.
Here's a deep dive into what Ankita Lokhande, Vicky Jain and their family members have said about Sushant Singh Rajput on Bigg Boss.
Ankita Lokhande
Ankita Lokhande has been quite vocal about her relationship and subsequent breakup with Sushant Singh Rajput. Speaking to fellow contestant Munawar about their breakup, she said early in the show, “There was no reason [for the breakup]. And I was blank. Ek raat main cheezay palti hain.Woh [Sushant Singh Rajput] ek dum ek raat mein gayab ho gaya. Success mil rahi thi toh log uske kaan bhar rahe the.Mainay usko kabhi roka bhi nahi.. But theek hai. Woh uska matter tha.[Things changed in a night. Sushant Singh Rajput suddenly disappeared. He was getting success so people were trying to manipulate him. But it's okay. It was his call. I didn't say much.]”
She also spoke about the lack of support on social media after their breakup. “Tab toh koi nahi tha na mere sath. Woh phase mainay akele guzara. Tab logonay kyun nahi kaha ki aapko Ankita ke sath rehna chahiye. Kaha thay log. Mainay toh woh phase akele guzara na. [Why didn't people come out and say that he [Sushant Singh Rajput] should have stayed with me? No one was there for me. I faced it all by myself].” She also shared that she was uncomfortable with Sushant Singh Rajput performing intimate scenes in his movies and would fight with him over it.
In another interaction, Ankita Lokhande said, “Bohot acha insaan tha woh. He was a good man. Main aise bolti hu na kabhi ‘tha', mujhe itna ajeeb lagta hai. Matlab abhi toh thik hai normal ho gaya hai. Vicky ka bhi dost hai na Sushant toh you know ab woh nahi raha iss duniya; that is the worst feeling [When I say he ‘was' a good man, I feel so strange. I mean it's okay now; it's normal. Sushant was Vicky's friend as well, and when I realised that he is no more, that is the worst feeling]."
Ankita also spoke about the actor's death and how she reacted to the devastating news. Explaining why she skipped his funeral, Ankita said, “Mei toh uske funeral pe bhi nahi gayi thi. Mei jaa hi nahi paayi. Muje laga mei nahi dekh sakti yeh. Mei yeh dekh hi nahi sakti. Vicky ne bola ki tu jaa kar aa. Maine kaha nahi. Kaise dekh sakti hu. Maine woh experience hi nahi kiya tha kabhi life mei [I didn't even go to the funeral. I couldn't go. I thought I wouldn't be able to see this. Vicky told me to go but I refused. How will I see him? I never experienced anything such in my life].”
Ankita Lokhande said, "There was also a photo of him that was clicked by paps and I got so angry at the level to which paps can stoop down. When I saw him, I felt everything was over… There was this one picture of him which was very bad. Mere haath paaon thande pad rahe the [ My hands and legs went cold]. It looked like he was sleeping. I just kept looking at that picture and thought there was so much in his brain. I knew him very well. He must have had so much in his brain but all was vanished. You are nothing, you're just a body then.”
Vicky Jain
Vicky Jain, who has refrained from naming Sushant Singh Rajput even while referring to Ankita Lokhande's past, made an exception this past week during an argument. During a fight where Ankita admitted to being possessive about Vicky Jain and upset with his bond with fellow contestant Mannara Chopra, Vicky Jain said: “Aap ke rishtein pavitra, mere saath kharab? [You relationships on pure and mine are bad?]” which several fans felt was a dig at Sushant and Ankita's relationship which began on the sets of Pavitra Rishta.
Referring to the controversies and media frenzy following Sushant Singh Rajput's death, Vicky Jain said:“Meine jo kiya na, jayse khada raha hu na Ankita, I swear mujhe ek ek din yaad aata hain. And when you do this with me, mujhe lagta hain ye kya hain yaar? Bura lagta hain mujhe. Kabhi tereko mein kuch nahi bola. Koi cheez mein mein tere beech mein nahi aaya. Itna badha Sushant ka matter tha, itni sari cheezein thi, mein kyase khada raha tere saath? Tereko jitne interview dene the, tereko jo bolna tha, mein kabhi beech mein aaya ksii cheez ke liye? Arrey mein baithke likhta tha tere saath ki tereko kyase karna hain sari cheezein. Kya hain yaar? Mein toh tere saarein jung mein barabar khada raha, kabhi tujhpe koi question uthne nahi diya. Aaj tu meri har move pe question uthati hain, mu banati hain, kya hain yaar ye? [I have stood up for you during the worst times. I remember each day clearly. I feel bad when you do this to me. I have never interfered in any matter of your life. The Sushant matter was a big one. There were so many issues but I stood by you. Did I ever say anything when you gave all those interviews and said all those things. I used to sit and write things for you. What is this? I stood by you in all your battles, never raised a question against you. But today, you question every move I make, you make faces. What is this?]
Vicky Jain's mother - Ranjana Jain
The Family Week episode saw Ranjana Jain, Vicky Jain's mother, enter the show and express her displeasure at how the two were conducting themselves. Following her exit, she spoke to ABP News and was asked about Ankita repeatedly mentioning Sushant in the show. To this, she said: "Yeh (Ankita) khud le rahi hai [Ankita herself mentions Sushant's name]."
Pressed further about the reasons behind Ankita's actions, Vicky's mother expressed, "Sympathy jata rahi hai aisa lagta hai [It seems she is seeking sympathy]." The interviewer dug deeper, asking for whom Ankita is seeking sympathy. Ranjana responded, "Apne liye aur kiske liye? Sushant ko kya pda hai vo to chale hi gya hai bechara. Vo tha jab hi bator ke le gaya. Kitne ache ache kaam kiye usne to. [For herself and for whom else? Sushant is not bothered; he has already left. He did so many good deeds during he was alive]."
Ankita Lokhande's mother - Vandana Lokhande
Vandana Lokhande, meanwhile, defended her daughter against Ranjana Jain's comments and said, “Ankita ne khud hoke kabhi bhi nahi pucha. Munwar Faruqui ne usko pucha tha, tab usne bataya ki haan vo aisa tha [Ankita herself never initiated the conversation. Munawar Faruqui asked her, and she responded that yes, he was like that],” and added that the conversations between Abhishek Kumar and Ankita about Sushant were also initiated by Abhishek.
Talking to Galatta India, she also shared that Ankita continues to share a warm equation with Sushant Singh Rajput's sisters and father.
However, it may be noted that during the Family Week episode when Vandana Lokhande entered the show, she asked Ankita to refrain from talking about Sushant Singh Rajput, saying, "Present me reh. Ab past mein mat ja [Be in the present, don't go back to your past]." Ankita tried to defend herself, but her mother pointed out, "Bar bar bolti hai [But you keep talking about Sushant]."
Reminding her of the conversations with Munawar Faruqui and Abhishek Kumar about Sushant, her mother sternly advised, "But mat bol na. Kuch bhi mat bol [But don't say anything]." While Ankita agreed, she also confessed, "But maine toh Vicky ke samne bhi bola [But I have also talked about Sushant in front of Vicky]."
"Sab Vicky jaise nahi hai na. Uske ghar ke log kya sochenge, kya sochte hai [Not everyone will be as understanding as Vicky. You never know what his family thinks about it]," explained her mom. Vicky Jain and Ankita Lokhande have been married since December 2021.