Ankita Lokhande recently marked 16 years in the entertainment industry, a journey that began in 2009 with Pavitra Rishta, the beloved television series that turned her into a household name. To commemorate the milestone, Ankita hosted a nostalgic get-together at her Mumbai residence, reuniting with veteran actress Usha Nadkarni, who played her formidable on-screen mother-in-law, Savita Deshmukh.The reunion, shared via a video on Ankita’s YouTube channel on Sunday, became an emotional walk down memory lane. Both actresses fondly remembered their time on set and paid heartfelt tributes to Ankita’s former co-star and ex-boyfriend, the late Sushant Singh Rajput, who played Manav opposite her Archana in the iconic show.Usha Nadkarni on living alone at 79In a rare candid moment, 79-year-old Usha Nadkarni opened up about her current life and the challenges of aging alone.“Ghar mein akeli hoon na, darr lagta hai mein girungi, kisko malum nahi padega,” she shared with emotion. “My brother passed away last year on June 30. If he had understood that I was going through something, he would have come running to me. Now, whom should I tell?”The revelation moved Ankita and her husband Vicky Jain, who listened with compassion and admiration.“Aai bohot zyada strong hai, woh akeli rehti hai. Woh itne saalon se akeli rahi hai,” Ankita said. “Mein bohot saalon se Aai ko dekh rahi hoon.”
Remembering Sushant Singh RajputAnkita also reflected on her early acting days and how pivotal Sushant Singh Rajput was in helping her grow as a performer.“Sushant itna acha actor tha. Woh mujhe bohot help karta tha kyunki jab mein sab actors ke samne jati thi, mujhe bohot darr lagta tha ki mein kaise itne bade-bade scenes karu,” she recalled. “Woh mujhe sikhata tha.”Produced by Ektaa Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms, Pavitra Rishta remains one of Indian television’s most iconic love stories. Adapted from the Tamil series Thirumathi Selvam, the show also starred Hiten Tejwani, Asha Negi, Rithvik Dhanjani, Shakti Arora, and Karan Veer Mehra. It holds the distinction of being the third-longest-running show on Zee TV, and continues to be cherished by fans across generations.
