Ankita Lokhande, who became a household name after featuring in the hit daily soap Pavitra Rishta, recalled the days of shooting non-stop 148 hours for the serial in her recent interview. The actor also revealed that she was not allowed to go home for 3 months. The late actor Sushant Singh Rajput was paired opposite Ankita in the serial. Speaking to ETimes, Ankita told the publication, "I have never worked so hard in life as I did for Pavitra Rishta. I didn't go home for 3 months. I used to shoot there day and night. And it's a true story, there was a gents bathroom. I used to take shower there. They had kept the bathroom empty for me. So many times, I didn't have fresh garments to wear. We would wash the ones we had and my hairdresser would iron them for me."
However, Ankita recollected the time with gratitude. She said, "It was worth it. Whoever I am today, it's because of those times. I have learnt the value of that hard work." The actor added, "Not just 30 hours, I have constantly worked on the sets of Pavitra Rishta for 148 hours. That has been my record timing." Ankita also explained the reasons behind this work load. "In television, women used to run the show. I had back-to-back scenes. My mother used to stay with me. I would sleep and wake up on the sets. And in those initial days, you can't say anything."
Pavitra Rishta clocked 14 years a few months back. To mark the occasion, Ankita shared a video from the serial. She wrote in the caption, "14 years of Pavitra Rishta and still feels so fresh and connected with my first ever baby.. Thank you God for everything! And thanks you so much Ekta Kapoor for always having that faith in me that I could be your Archu and thank you for giving me the new identity as Archana because the people who loved me during the show when they see or meet me now also, the first name which comes in there mind is Archu and I love it so much.. Thank you so much everyone around who has loved and watched this beautiful show called Pavitra Rishta with all there heart and soul... I'm grateful forever."
Take a look at Ankita's post here:
Sharing a separate video of scenes from the show, Ankita wrote, "Aasman main jab tak sitare rahenge hum ek dusre ke sahare rahenge,nazdikiyan ya ho duriyaan bas pyaar hi rahega darmiyan pavitra rishta tere mere mann ka (As long as the stars are in the sky, we will be there for each other, whether it is near or distant, only love will remain in between). Sharing some beautiful memories of Archana (Archu)."
Take a look at the post here:
In Pavitra Rishta, Ankita played the character of Archana and Sushant Singh played the character of Maanav. After gaining immense popularity in the television industry, Ankita ventured into Bollywood in 2019 with Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. She also appeared in the action-packed film Baaghi 3, sharing the screen with stars like Tiger Shroff, Shraddha Kapoor.