A decade of marriage, countless public appearances and a relationship that, from the outside, appeared steady. So, when Akanksha Chamola revealed on a reality show that she and Gaurav Khanna were going their separate ways, the disclosure came as a surprise to those who had followed their relationship over the years.

She says, “Mystery and misunderstanding hand-in-hand chalte hain with Akanksha Chamola. Gaurav and I have been living separately for 18 months. I had no choice but to appear on Bigg Boss because his parents couldn’t make it. It’s not like we were jaani dushman, toh main kyun karu tere liye. After Bigg Boss, Gaurav wanted me to accompany him to events. What people conveniently forget is that I am also an actor and get invited to these events. It’s not that I have always been a plus one.”

Her revelation was followed by trolling, which Akanksha attributes largely to the public’s affection for Gaurav.

She says, “The trolling I receive is borne out of people’s love for Gaurav. Log usse itna pyaar karte hain ki unko mujhse nafrat hone lagi hai. I am happy for all the love that Gaurav has been receiving, but I care two hoots about what the world has to think about me. In fact, inki gaaliyon ki wajah se main aaj aise reality show par aayi hoon. Main koi appreciation ki wajah se nahi aayi hoon, main gaaliyaan khaakar aayi hoon.”

Gaurav’s subsequent entry into Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa also affected the experience she had intended to have on the show.

Akanksha says, “I was prepared that whatever I have to do, I will do it inside and baahar se mujhe koi lena dena nahi hai and apna game khelungi. I did not prepare myself for the repercussions of revealing my secrets in the outside world. In fact, it was a surprise for me also ki Gaurav kyun aaya hai. Now, if he gives me outside information, something which I am happy about not facing, it will affect my mind frame.”

She adds, “I still tried my level best in the game. I will not completely put the blame on Gaurav also. But it is true that I was, to an extent, mentally not as strong as I was in the first week. I am not upset about it because the show was about showing my real personality. If my game dropped somewhere, it was very organic and I have zero regrets for that.”

Her decision to speak about her bisexuality was another significant moment on the show. However, Akanksha believes her sexuality should not have any bearing on how she is perceived professionally. 

She says, “I know of a lot of girls who are bisexual but they don’t come out. I am the last person who is image conscious. I have never worked and I don’t think I will ever work on the basis of my image. Agar mera potential meri acting aur mere craft mein dikh raha hai toh aapko kya fark padta hai ki meri sexuality kya hai. You are not giving me work on the basis of my sexuality or my image but on the basis of my talent and my craft. What difference does it make to you ki main kya kar rahi hoon ya kisi ke saath so rahi hoon ki nahi.”

On her separation from Gaurav, Akanksha maintains that there was no single trigger and that the decision followed a gradual breakdown of the relationship. She says, “That’s a very personal thing and it happened gradually. I can’t pinpoint one reason for it. We have had multiple reasons to reach this conclusion. That’s between Gaurav and me. The divorce proceedings are on. We have to sign our drafts and submit it. This has been going on for long, even before he left for Khatron Ke Khiladi.”

Anupamaa viewers have been predicting that Anuj Kapadia, played by Gaurav Khanna, will quit the show soon. One of the reasons for this is that Gaurav’s screen time has reduced on the show. This topic has been trending online for many days. Finally, in an exclusive interview with BT, Gaurav addressed these rumours. He said, “I will just say that I am fully committed to the show.”

Talking about the screen time being reduced, he said that doesn’t bother him. “I have been in the industry for a long time, and I feel this show is different, and I am lucky to be part of it,” he said, adding, “Once or twice in a lifetime does an actor get an opportunity to play an iconic role on TV and I am thankful for that.”

It’s been nine months since Gaurav joined the show. Initially, he was a bit apprehensive. He shared, “Generally, it is difficult to enter a show which is ongoing.”

Gaurav adds, “But the audience gave my character the same love, which I wasn’t expecting, and I am thankful for it.”

In the show, Gaurav’s character is the perfect husband any woman would want. But what is he like in his personal life? Gaurav shared, “There are bound to be difficulties in every marriage because no two people are similar to each other. But that’s what makes it fun. One has to work around these things and come to a point unanimously. People who manage to do it lead a happy married life. That’s what my wife Akanksha (Chamola) and I do. We are different from each other, but we work towards things together. It’s like balancing a seesaw.”

After being in showbiz for 15 years and having done 18 TV shows, Gaurav Khanna confesses that it is his role as Anuj in Anupamaa that has brought him most love and appreciation. In an exclusive chat with BT, the calm and composed Gaurav, similar to his character onscreen, shares how good things come and go, but one needs to keep working and stay grounded. Excerpts:

When I was chosen for Anupamaa, I was apprehensive because I was joining a show midway and I’ve always preferred to work in a show from the beginning. But since it was a talented ensemble cast, I agreed. I had no idea how Anuj would be received by audiences and did not know whether my character would come this far. It is my experience of working in this medium that helped me bag this role. Nobody becomes famous with their first show, even Leonardo DiCaprio had to work in many films before bagging an Oscar. I did several shows and just because they didn’t work, doesn’t mean that I wasn’t good or that the script wasn’t nice. I am not a trained actor, but have learnt things on my journey. Even now, I know the extent of my character for next six or seven episodes, the rest depends on viewership, the producer, makers and script.

The show is about hope. A woman who has been sidelined and subdued for 25 years suddenly finds hope in a man who is ready to give her the best! Today, I meet so many people who say that my son, brother or husband is somewhat like Anuj. I am not in a position to comment whether he is too good to be true, but whatever you see of the character is organic and it has emerged because of people’s reactions over social media. One should believe that good people exist otherwise there would be no fairy tales. In the past, TV has seen male leads mostly being angry or action-oriented or following a set pattern, but here, I feel my character is quite relatable. Yes, he seems to be very patient, but after a long time, audiences have seen a mature, emotionally stable, well-read and well-spoken guy, who respects women.

Yes, quite a bit. I come from a corporate background, I’m well-read, I’ve grown up around a lot of women in my family and I respect women. And just like in the show, how Anuj listens to his companion, I, too, listen to my wife Akanksha (Chamola) at home.

I don’t see a problem in romancing my wife on social media because I love her a lot. If I am showing love for my wife, I believe it is an expression and I am completely fine with PDA. Secondly, I can never say no to my wife. If she wants me to do something, I will help her and even if I am not comfortable, I will still do it. My wife understands my profession because she is also an actor and is not bothered with the buzz around my character.

I’ve worked in 18 shows till date and I love the small screen. Today, whatever I am, is because of TV. I am a production-friendly guy and working for long hours doesn’t bother me because at the end of the day, I am only thinking about my scenes and how to perform them well. I have not tried other stuff because I never had the time. I just focus on my work and move from one project to the other. I believe success is like a cycle and good things come and go, but one needs to stay grounded and work hard. I don’t plan my life, it could be a web show after some time or a film, I haven’t given it a serious thought.