Ankita Lokhande Remembers Sushant Singh Rajput As She Clocks 15 Years In The Industry: "If I Didn't Have His Support..."

On this day, fifteen years ago, Ankita Lokhande marked her acting debut with her role as Archana in Pavitra Rishta. On the special occasion, the actress poured her heart out in a touching note, expressing gratitude for the love she has received throughout these years. The show also featured late actor Sushant Singh Rajput in a leading role. In her note, Ankita remembered Sushant and recalled his supportive nature on the sets.

Ankita Lokhande shared a video compilation featuring memorable moments from Pavitra Rishta alongside snippets from her other projects, including her role in the 2019 film Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. The montage also included a clip from her appearance on Bigg Boss 17, where she reminisced about Pavitra Rishta.

Captioning the post on Instagram, Ankita 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."

She added, "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," Ankita concluded the note.

For the unversed, Ankita and Sushant shared the screen in Pavitra Rishta, where they portrayed the roles of Archana and Manav respectively. The former couple fell in love on the sets and called it quits after dating for nearly five years. Sushant died in June 2022.