Love, marriage, breakup. The relationship spectrum was incomplete. Akanksha Chamola took a giant leap and completed the circle; she announced on the premiere episode of the Netflix reality show Lock Upp that she and her husband Gaurav Khanna are heading for a divorce.
She confirmed that the estranged couple have been living separately for a year.
Divorce Is In For This Season
She is perhaps the first celebrity to have announced her divorce on Indian OTT.
It’s not too long ago that celebrities got married on Bigg Boss. At that time, Bigg Boss used to be a solo television phenomenon.
With the overwhelming advent of OTT platforms, Indian television seems to be a thing of the past now. Marriage and Swayamvar shows are passe. The real reality of Indian OTT is the divorce of star couples.
If one Lock Upp is not enough, Amazon Prime has come up with another show titled Alliance. Interestingly, these shows are not based on relationship rules like the MTV shows. But the conversation about the shows gains momentum as divorced couples are put in the forefront.
On Alliance, after Sohail Khan, his ex-wife Seema Sajdeh enters as a wild-card entry. And how shall we forget Govinda and Sunita Ahuja? They are not divorced yet, but they are all over the news for their rumoured rift in marriage.
Akanksha Chamola Announces Divorce Months After Dismissing Rumours
Akanksha Chamola confirms her divorce with Gaurav Khanna on Lock Upp😱#lockupp2 #lockupp #GauravKhanna pic.twitter.com/Sqo81Qq0Hw
— 𝐌•✰ (@24X7BiggBoss) June 27, 2026
During the premiere episode of Lock Upp, Akanksha was asked to reveal a secret.
Stunning the world outside and the hosts on the show, Akanksha said, “Me and Gaurav are getting a divorce. We have been living separately for the last one year, and it’s not been public.”
She also shared that the decision was mutual and there’s no bad blood.
“Things are not bad between me and Gaurav. We still talk to each other. We don’t think we are compatible as partners because we both see a very different future. And, unfortunately, it’s not with each other,” the actress added.
In January, rumours were swirling that the couple had decided to part ways.
In a conversation with Times of India, Akanksha Chamola dismissed all divorce rumours with Gaurav Khanna: “There is absolutely no trouble in our marriage, and the post had nothing to do with Gaurav. I am not someone who discusses personal matters on social media. The post was meant to promote my upcoming series. It was open to interpretation, but it was blown out of proportion.”
For context, the post shared by Akanksha Chamola read, “Jis rishte ki buniyaad mein sirf zarooratein ho, wahan dil hamesha qurbaan hota hai. (In a relationship built only on needs, it’s always the heart that gets sacrificed).”
In a world of glitz and glamour, there’s only one reality, one truth. Keeping private life away from social media won’t give you the much-needed eyeballs. As a public figure, one has to face the repercussions of making private life public (trolls, scrutiny). But interestingly, it might add more followers to the celebrity’s Instagram. It might make him/her more popular than their present stature.
In subsequent episodes of Lock Upp, Akanksha Chamola opened up about what prompted her decision. By this time, everyone knows that Akanksha doesn’t want a child, while Gaurav wants to be a father.
Akanksha hogs the limelight since the show started streaming. But it’s all because of her turbulent marriage and the conversation it generated on and off social media.
It’s not a surprise that the OTT giants would milk money out of it as Gaurav Khanna visited her on the show.
What’s the twist? He clarified, “She’s still legally my wife. We discussed divorce in May before I left for Khatron Ke Khiladi.”
Seema Sajdeh Wild-card Entrant, Sohail Khan Contestant
Ex-couples had been part of reality shows. But the only difference is now the divorced couples are in the limelight.
Seema Sajdeh first initiated the conversation around divorce with Sohail Khan in the first season of the Netflix reality show Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives. During the second season, she mostly talked about life after divorce, the emptiness and how she started afresh.
Seema Sajdeh and Sohail Khan continue to co-parent their children and go on family vacations.
If the reality is smooth, will the reality shows be far behind?
Amazon Prime brought ex-couples face to face on their show Alliance.
So adorable ❤️#TheAlliance #SohailKhan pic.twitter.com/OQuME7T35I
— BiggBoss fan (@Boss19Bigg13445) July 9, 2026
The promo shows host Kunal Kemmu asking Sohail Khan to share his thoughts on seeing his ex-wife Seema Sajdeh in the house. Sohail said it felt “lovely” and reflected on the 25 years they had spent together.
Responding with a smile, Sohail said, “Lovely. I have lived with this beautiful lady for 25 years, and let me admit on national television: agar koi bhi galti hui hogi humare beech mein, I take the responsibility.” (If there were any mistakes between us, I take responsibility for them.)
Divorce is not mentioned directly here. But Sohail and Seema pitched in on a game show on OTT and talked fairly about the ongoing trend.
Special Mention: Govinda And Sunita Ahuja
Govinda and Sunita Ahuja have been in headlines for more than a year. Reason? Govinda’s alleged extra-marital affair and Sunita’s unfiltered truth bombs on their married life. Not once or twice, Sunita Ahuja has spoken on different occasions about the rift in their marriage. But there’s a catch. They also made it clear that they are together.
In the newly released promo from the Netflix show, Govinda joked about carrying a bullet.
Referring to a previous comment made by Sunita on the show, Farah asked, “Tune aisi supari kyun di thi ki isko maaro goli?” (Why did you put out a contract to have him shot?)
Responding in his witty style, Govinda replied, “Arre, main leke aaya hoon jeb mein goli. Main bola seene mein maarna chah rahi thi, maar le ab.” (I’ve even brought a bullet in my pocket. You said you wanted to shoot me in the chest, so go ahead and do it now.)
Significantly, the celebrity couple try to underplay the conversation. But it’s not funny at all. It’s bizarre that private lives have become the new content on OTT.
Gone Are the Days Of Bigg Boss Weddings, Swayamvar Shows
Sara Khan and Ali Merchant were the first couple to officially get married on the show (2010). However, their televised marriage lasted only two months, and they divorced shortly after.
Bhojpuri actress Monalisa married her long-time boyfriend Vikrant inside the Bigg Boss house in a televised ceremony. Unlike the former couple, their marriage stood the test of time.
In recent times, Avika Gor married social activist and former reality star Milind Chandwani in September last year on the sets of the reality TV show Pati Patni Aur Panga. They have been dating since 2020 and got engaged in June 2025.’
We can safely say the trend of Swayamvar shows started with Rakhi Sawant. This 2009 hit show featured Rakhi Sawant. She got engaged to Canadian businessman Elesh Parujanwala, though the two later separated.
Politician Rahul Mahajan, actress Ratan Rajput and singer Mika Singh followed suit and hosted Swayamvar shows. None of the relationships stood the test of time.
Before the OTT plunge, MTV experimented with love and dating in shows like Date My Mom and Help! I’m in a Secret Relationship. But divorce was not a cup of tea for the Gen Z stars.
Conclusion
Relationship-based games always tend to work as the audience relate to them on a personal level. But the newly launched OTT shows are milking the divorce of celebrity contestants that has nothing to do with the game. Fame, instant popularity, winning the title — reasons are understood. But the question persists: how much is too much for a show?
