When Ankita Lokhande Rejected Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani: ‘I Was Trying To Be Sushant’s Support…’

Following the success of her show Pavitra Rishta, actor Ankita Lokhande, who is now a part of Bigg Boss 17, gained immense popularity as a television star. The natural progression for her was to venture into the film industry. At that time, her boyfriend, late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, was making a successful transition to the big screen, and Ankita had many opportunities knocking at her door. However, she decided to prioritise her relationship over her career and passed up on several opportunities. As she opened up on Sushant on Bigg Boss 17, an old interview of hers is now going viral.

In an interview with Bollywood Bubble from 2021, Ankita Lokhande had reflected on her past decision to decline Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus, Bajirao Mastani, as she wanted to get married to Sushant. She acknowledged that she doesn’t regret her choice, even though she could feel “sad” about having made what some might perceive as the “wrong decision.” She said, “I remember Sanjay sir calling me and saying, ‘Karle Bajirao, warna, yaad rakh, bahut pachtayegi (Do Bajirao Mastani or you else you will regret it later). He was literally praising me and Sanjay sir saying that is a very big thing. Then I was like, ‘Nahin, sir. Mujhe shaadi karni hain (No, sir. I want to get married).’ I still remember it. He did not have anything to say.”

Ankita was also approached for a role in Farah Khan’s film Happy New Year, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika but she declined the offer for similar reasons. Reflecting on her decision, she shared, “I had met Shah Rukh sir also. But at the back of my mind, I was like, ‘Bhagwan karein naa ho.’ Ladki kaisi hoti hain na… ke mere partner ka achha ho. Till today, I have no regrets. I was trying to build a man and I did that. Quietly, I was trying to be a strong support for Sushant. After my breakup, I understood my value. It’s very important to understand your worth.”

Recently, on Bigg Boss 17, the actress revealed that her late ex-boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput would get “very affected” by what people wrote about him on social media. Ankita also remembered the late Bollywood star as “an extremely hardworking person”. Ankita and Sushant fell in love on the sets of Ekta Kapoor’s Pavitra Rishta. They began dating in 2010 and parted ways in 2016.