Known for her daily soap outings, Shweta Tiwari has managed to strike a fine balance between fiction and non-fiction genres. She has participated in almost every reality show, including Bigg Boss and Nach Baliye. So, when she was offered Fear Factor: Khatron Ki Khiladi, she lapped it up. She says, “I have participated in every reality show possible. Khatron Ke Khiladi is a unique show in which you face your fears and attempt stunts that you don’t in your normal life. So, I decided to participate in it because of the element of adventure. Also, my daughter told me that if I didn’t take it up now, it would be too late for me to participate in this show in the future.”

The actress is shooting for the show in Cape Town, away from her children — Palak and Reyansh. She tells us that she misses them a lot and they are in constant touch with each other virtually. She shares, “At night, we sleep with our video calling app switched on so that we can see each other every time we wake up. We talk at every opportunity. I talk to my daughter before every stunt and after it to tell her how I have fared. My son wants me to get him a hippopotamus, which he calls ‘hippomonatus’ from South Africa to India for him. So, if in an episode I get to meet a hippopotamus, I am going to take him home, because my son wants it (laughs!).”

While many are struggling to find work, Shweta feels fortunate to be getting work during these challenging times. She says, “It has indeed been a difficult time for all of us. While I am grateful for the quality time spent with my children and family, I realised ki kaam karte rehna kitna important hai. Agar kaam ruk jaaye toh sab kuch ruk jaata hai. Your income may stop, but expenses don’t. You have to pay the EMIs and other expenses. So, it was very important to work. I thank my stars that today I have work and I can look after my kids.”

Post Khatron Ke Khiladi, she plans to get back to the fiction genre provided the concept is good and shows her in a never-seen-before avatar. “Whenever I am offered a show, I look at the graph of my character to ensure that it’s interesting so that I am not bored before the show has ended. If something interesting comes my way, I’ll take it up, be it a negative or a positive character, naagin ho ya daayan ho. I am a daily soap actress.”

On the personal front, Shweta has in recent times been in the news for her ugly public spat with her estranged husband, Abhinav Kohli. The latter has accused her of not allowing him to meet their son and leaving him alone amid the pandemic while she has gone abroad to shoot for the reality show.

Refusing to comment on her personal life, Shweta says, “Look, everyone faces some problem in their life. Ups and downs are a part of life. But if you keep your goals, priorities and responsibilities aside and run after those problems or those creating those problems, then you will feel lost in life. My priority is my kids. I will focus on them and keep working because only that’s going to help me in the long run. I don’t owe any justification or clarification to anyone because I know what’s good for my children. No one knows it better than me. I know how to keep my kids physically and mentally healthy, give them a better life and take care of them. Logon ke sahi ya galat se meri zindagi nahi chal rahi hai. Meri zindagi mere sahi, galat aur jisme mere bachhon ki bhalai hai, uss se chal rahi hai. I am fully dedicated to my kids and my work, which is why I keep working and forging ahead. If people want to forget their responsibilities and problems and make me the centre of their lives, they are most welcome. But meri zindagi mein aur kisi ke liye koi jagah nahi hai siwaai mere bachhon and meri family ke.”

Shweta Tiwari returns to the small screen after three years
Saptaparna Biswas (BOMBAY TIMES; January 19, 2020)

After a sabbatical of three years, Shweta Tiwari recently returned to TV with the show, Mere Dad Ki Dulhan. “I’m the only earning member in the house,” the actress says, adding, “I needed to get back to work to pay the bills and take care of my kids’ studies. Everything is expensive these days, and savings se aaj kal kharcha manage nahi ho sakta. For the life I want to give my kids, I will have to step out of the house and work hard. So, I returned to television.”

Shweta, who has two children — Palak (19) and Reyansh (3) — continued, “My producers have been supportive and have given me an extra room for my son.”

In August 2019, Shweta’s personal life was in the news when she accused husband Abhinav Kohli of domestic violence. He was arrested and released two days later, after which they have been living separately. When asked about this, the actress chose not to comment.

The actress says that given her hectic schedule, balancing family and work is her biggest challenge. She shares, “I’m bad at time management, so my family manages it for me. If I stay out for a longer period of time, Reyansh and his nanny accompany me to the set. Palak and I try to catch up by watching movies whenever I’m not shooting. My mother comes on the sets in case I’m unable to meet her for too many days. So, they all manage their time around me.”

Motherhood might come with responsibilities, but Shweta says that she loves every moment of it. At the same time, she understands when her daughter Palak says that she isn’t keen on having kids. “I love the feeling of being a mother, carrying a life inside of me, and the connection between two lives. But I also know many people who haven’t opted for conventional pregnancy, and others still, who do not want kids at all. I understand why a lot of youngsters are forgoing motherhood, given the current situation of our world. So, when Palak says, ‘Mom, I don’t want to have babies’, I tell her that it’s okay,” she signs off.

Shweta Tiwari’s daughter Palak on the recent charges that they have made against Abhinav Kohli
BOMBAY TIMES (August 14, 2019)

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who’s reached out to express their concern and support. Secondly, I would like to address and clarify a few things out of my own rectitude: The media does not have the facts and they never will. I, Palak Tiwari, was on multiple occasions a victim of domestic abuse NOT my mother, except for the day that the complaint was filed he hadn’t hit my mother. As a reader of the news it’s often easy to forget that you do not know the truth of what goes on behind closed doors or how much fortitude my mother has shown in both her marriages. This is someone’s household you’re writing about, someone’s life you’re discussing. Many of you fortunately haven’t even dealt with something of such heinous proportions, and hence, you have no right to comment, discuss or paint someone else’s image through your biased, misinformed views.

It’s beyond disgusting and it’s time that I stand up for my mother for she is the strongest person I know and since out of all of us, I’m the only person who’s witnessed her struggle day in and day out, my opinion is the only one that matters.

Abhinav Kohli has never physically molested me, or touched me inappropriately. Before spreading something of this caliber or even believing it, it’s imperative you, as readers, know the veracity of the facts that you’re blindly divulging endlessly. However, he did persistently make inappropriate and disturbing remarks the impact of which is only known to my mother and I, and if any woman from any walk of life were to hear them, she would be greatly embarrassed and provoked, too. Words which would question the standing dignity of any woman, which you wouldn’t expect to hear from any man, especially not your “father”. Seeing our lives through social media, reading about us in the papers can only tell you so much about our struggles, but never enough to comment on them. Today as a proud daughter, I’m here to tell you that my mother is the most respectable individual that I’ve ever come across, the MOST self sufficient, one who’s never required or even had a man provide for her and has always taken the social standing of a “man” in both the families that we’ve been a part of.” (sic).

ON SUNDAY
TV actress Shweta Tiwari lodged a police complaint against her husband Abhinav Kohli for outraging the modesty of her 19-year-old daughter Palak from her first marriage to Raja Chaudhary. Abhinav, who was produced before court yesterday, was granted bail

ON MONDAY NIGHT
Palak Tiwari took to Instagram and here’s what she had to say about the whole issue...

The TV actress lodged a complaint against Abhinav Kohli at the Samta Nagar police station on Sunday
Neha Mehashwri (BOMBAY TIMES; August 13, 2019)

On Sunday afternoon, television actress Shweta Tiwari lodged a police complaint against her husband Abhinav Kohli for allegedly outraging her 19-year-old daughter Palak’s modesty. The teenager is Shweta’s daughter with her first husband, actor Raja Chaudhary.

The actress, along with Palak, filed a complaint at Samta Nagar police station (Kandivali East). A police official told us, “Shweta Tiwari has registered a case of molestation against Abhinav Kohli. He would make obscene comments about her daughter and even show her obscene videos. He was arrested under Sections 509, 354 (a), 323, 504, 506 of the IPC and 67-A of the IT Act on Sunday, and produced before the court yesterday.”

Over the past couple of years, there have been rumours of trouble in Shweta’s marriage with Abhinav. In fact, last year, both Shweta and Palak had unfollowed Abhinav on Instagram. While the actress started following him some time later, Palak didn’t. Shweta and Abhinav have a two-and-half-year old son, Reyansh.

The actress, who is known for her portrayal as Prerna in the original Kasautii Zindagii Kay, was in the news a few years ago, when she accused her first husband Raja Chaudhary of domestic violence. Eventually, the two had an acrimonious divorce.
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TV actor and father blames actress ex-wife for their daughter being molested


Complainant's father hitting the accused in this 2010 grab

TV star's first husband tells mid-day he found the second husband, now accused of molesting the daughter, touching her inappropriately as far back as 2010
Suraj Ojha, Diwakar Sharma (MID-DAY; April 13, 2019)

The biological father of the 19-year-old who was allegedly molested by her stepfather has blamed his ex-wife for the incident. "This was expected. My ex-wife is responsible," he told mid-day, claiming he had advised her during their separation not to move in with the accused. He said the accused molested his daughter back in 2010, too.

The 38-year-year man, accused of molesting his stepdaughter since October 2017, has been sent to police remand for a day. The molested woman is the daughter of a TV actress who married the accused in 2013 after divorcing her first husband — the biological father of the woman — in 2007.

While the complaint registered at Samata Nagar police station states that the woman was being molested since October 2017, her father has alleged that the accused "had taken advantage" of his daughter living alone in their Malad West residence around October 2010 when the TV actress was busy with a reality show.

"My ex-wife was busy with a reality show and our daughter was alone at home. Once, when I entered their house in Malad, I was shocked to see the way he [the accused] was staring at her and touching her inappropriately. This riled me up and we had a heated argument. The matter reached the Malad police where I slapped him at the police station premises," he told mid-day.

"I was placed under arrest for standing up for my daughter. This man is morally corrupt and always took advantage of my daughter when she was alone. After my legal separation from my wife, I had suggested that she (TV actress) stay away from him (the accused). But she chose to stay with him. I was always worried for them and reiterated that the safety and security of my daughter were at stake, but she paid no heed to my advice," the father added.

'Will Take Legal Advice'
After learning about the incident, the victim's father texted his daughter. "I do not know how low he stooped to outrage her modesty but I texted my daughter who responded to my messages saying she was 'okay' and that I 'need not worry'. At present she is reeling under mental agony but I will speak to her to know the details in a few days," said the father, who added that he often exchanges texts with his daughter to find out about her well-being.

He is now mulling taking legal suggestion from his advocate regarding the safety of his daughter. "I am not sure what legal support I could extend to my daughter but first I need to speak to her and then I will contact my legal team to safeguard my daughter," he insisted.

mid-day's attempts to reach the woman and her mother went unanswered.

Forensic Analysis
A police officer at the Samata Nagar police station said that the accused had been showing sexually explicit photos of models to the woman since 2017. A case has been filed against him under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (insulting modesty of woman) of the Indian Penal Code and 67A (transmitting sexually explicit material) of the Information Technology Act. Sources told mid-day that the cops have seized the mobile phone used in the crime and it has been sent for a forensic analysis test.

2013
Year when star married again

Oct 2017
When accused first molested step daugher

2007
Year the woman's parents separated

OCT 2010
Month woman's father had a fight with the accused

Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; November 5, 2018)

In a synthetic world, actress Shweta Tiwari stands out. She doesn’t believe in any frills or giving politically-correct answers when you sit down for a chat with her. Last seen playing the lead in Begusarai, the actress took a break from work when she got pregnant and delivered a baby boy. After two years, Shweta is making her theatre debut with the play Jab We Separated. In an exclusive chat, the actress talks about her break, rumours of trouble in her marriage, becoming a mother again after a long gap and her daughter Palak’s debut in Bollywood. Excerpts...

It has been two years since you’ve been on a break. One does not see you on TV anymore..
I completed my shooting for Begusarai in June 2016. At that time, I was pregnant with Reyansh and did not want to take up any long term commitments. TV shows require long hours of shooting and being a new mother, it was not possible to be away from him for so long. But now, I have slowly started taking up work and felt that if there is a good subject which requires short-term commitment, why not? I am not watching television at all, so I am not sure if I like it or not. Also, television content hasn’t changed much from the time I did Kasautii Zindagi Kay… But again, I am not following any particular show, so I can’t be sure of that.

Talking of Kasauti… do you watch the second season? Are you happy that it was remade or do you feel hit TV shows should not be remade?
Ekta Kapoor is making the remake, so she will do justice to it. The first season ran for seven years and my character was very close to my heart. I like the second season, too. I have watched a few episodes and both Parth Samthaan and Erica Fernandes are good in the show. I really feel that remakes should be made only if they are made with passion and they connect with viewers again. If they don’t connect, then they should be left alone because Kasauti... was such a hit show that people were connected with it emotionally.

You are making your debut in theatre with a play that revolves around a fragile husband-wife relationship...
There may be many plays around the husband-wife relationship, but what matters is the treatment. About marriage, I feel that many marriages are breaking up these days because people have options of getting out of it. Divorce is easy these days. First it was taboo... women were dependent on their husbands and at home. Now, they are independent, educated and not suppressed. So somewhere, husbands are not able to accept this and women have also become less tolerant. They feel it is better to leave a relationship and move on to someone else. Our play revolves around that idea; how you need to find ways to be together even if there is trouble. These days, people feel that if they move on with someone else, they will find happiness. But even that relationship will require adjustment, compromise and good communication. So, if you can mend your ways and save your marriage, why move on with someone else? You can’t keep doing that again and again.

There were rumours of trouble in your marriage a few months back...
I will tell you what really happened. Abhinav’s father passed away the same year I got pregnant. Abhinav’s parents stayed in Bengaluru, so he had to stay there for some time before he could get his mother here. His father was a retired air force officer and his mother owned a publishing company. Abhinav required some time before he could wrap up everything and be in Mumbai with us. He stayed there for almost a year. Now, here people started noticing that I was going to parties alone and was not seen with him. Even after Reyansh was born, he used to come for some time and go back. So, people felt why are they not staying together? Some people had the nerve to even call me and ask, ‘Hey, is everything well in your marriage? We don’t see your husband with you.’ Now, why should I tell people what happened? People need gossip. I felt so weird that just because my husband was away for some time, people found a reason to gossip and therefore I decided to stop giving any explanations to anyone.

Do you feel that it is difficult to handle a relationship in modern times?
I feel both individuals need space and they should respect it and give it to each other if they wish to have it. I feel respect is important in a relationship and I find that lacking these days in couples. During our parents’ time, husbands used to happily compliment their wives and there was no sarcasm. Now, I see that a husband and wife are no longer part of the same team in public gatherings. Many times, the husband is passing a remark on the wife’s family or the wife finds an opportunity to pull him down and so on. This shows that somewhere, there is lack of communication and understanding, which is weakening the foundation of a beautiful relationship.

Your daughter Palak is going to debut in Bollywood...
I will allow her to do anything after she finishes her XII exams. I am not going to stop her from films, TV or even becoming a pilot because it is difficult or there is a lot of competition. She wants to do films and I am not stopping her.

You became a mother after a long gap. Does it get difficult the second time?
I had Palak when I was only 19 years old. I was a kid myself and I was also working that time, so my mother helped me bring her up. I hardly remember much about her childhood. Now, with Reyansh, I feel it is my first time as a mother. I am thoroughly enjoying it. I love doing everything for him. Though I have help, I do all the little things that a mother enjoys doing for the child. I even take him everywhere I travel for work. It is one of the most beautiful phases of my life.

Neha Maheshwri Bhagat (BOMBAY TIMES; July 10, 2016)

Neha Maheshwri Bhagat (BOMBAY TIMES; March 26, 2015)

Neha Maheshwri Bhagat (BOMBAY TIMES; July 19, 2014)