Actress Ankita Lokhande’s mother Vandana Lokhande has come out in support of her daughter amidst controversy over the late Sushant Singh Rajput being referenced on the reality show Bigg Boss 17.
In an interview, Mrs Lokhande dismissed claims made by son-in-law Vicky Jain’s mother that Ankita uses former boyfriend Sushant’s name to gain public sympathy.
“It is not a strategy to gain sympathy. They were together for eight years and she lived that journey with him. Even after their breakup, she always thought well of him,” Ankita’s mother told India Today.
The remarks came after Vicky’s mother told ABP News that Ankita keeps mentioning Sushant, who died in 2020, to derive benefit from the audience’s sentiments.
Responding strongly, Mrs Lokhande said, “When Sushant passed away, she was completely broken as they had that kind of bond.”
In a recent Bigg Boss 17 episode, Ankita was seen getting emotional about her marriage problems and questioning her mother on why she gets constantly targeted by her in-laws.
Vicky’s mother was also shown visiting Ankita on the show, where the two had an uncomfortable interaction regarding the problems in her marriage with Vicky.
The public spat has caused a major rift between the families after Ankita’s intimate revelations about her marital life on national television.
Sushant and Ankita co-starred in the hit TV series Pavitra Rishta and dated for several years before eventually breaking up in 2016, though they remained cordial.
The shocking news of Sushant’s untimely death in 2020 had left Ankita distressed and broken.