Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi fame Narayani Shastri has weighed in on the ongoing speculation surrounding Anupamaa actor Gaurav Khanna and his wife, Akanksha Chamola, after Akanksha revealed that the couple had been living separately for a year. The discussion gained further attention after Gaurav recently appeared on Lock Upp 2 and spoke to Akanksha about the situation.
Earlier, Akanksha had revealed that she and Gaurav had been living separately for around a year and were heading for a divorce. Gaurav’s appearance on Lock Upp led to speculation among some viewers that the couple’s public show of support might have been a publicity move, while others felt they were trying to work things out.
Responding to the controversy during an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Narayani said people should not immediately assume the worst about a couple’s relationship.
She said, “Main jaise insaan hoon samne wala ka worst samajhna chalti hoon. Main ye nahi sochti hoon ki ye publicity ke liye kar raha hai. Mera ye thought hota hai ki shayad genuinely chal raha hai kuch 2 logo ke beech mein and they are doing the best to make it work.”
(The kind of person I am, I don’t immediately assume the worst about others. I don’t think people do such things for publicity. My first thought is that something may genuinely be going on between two people and they are doing their best to make the relationship work.)
She further said that if a couple has been married for nine years and says they have been trying to save their marriage, their statement should be taken at face value.
“Kisiki agar 9 saal shaadi hai and agar woh bol rahe ki ek saal se trying to make it work kar rahe hain toh mera first thought yehi hota hai ki shayad yehi kar rahe.”
(If someone has been married for nine years and says they have been trying to make it work for a year, my first thought is that they are genuinely doing exactly that.)
Addressing questions over why Gaurav appeared on Lock Upp despite reports of their separation, Narayani said supporting one’s spouse does not necessarily contradict the reality of marital struggles.
“Fir sawal ye hota ki Gaurav jab aaye toh aap kyun aaye dikhane ke liye ki you know we’re still together but that’s what making it work is ki aap divorced toh ho nahi, aap separated ho. Aap support toh karna hi chahoge.”
(Then people ask why Gaurav came on the show, whether it was to show that they were still together. But that’s what trying to make a relationship work means. They are not divorced; they are separated. Naturally, you would still want to support your partner.)
She added, “Humesha worst chhezein nahi sochna chahiye kisike liye… Par yahan hum do logo ke life ke baare mein baat kar rahe hai. Shayad ye genuine ho.”
(We should not always assume the worst about people. We are talking about the lives of two individuals here. It may be completely genuine.)
Later in the conversation, Siddharth Kannan brought up Akanksha’s revelation that she is bisexual and asked whether it could affect her prospects in the television industry.
Narayani responded that she was unsure whether Akanksha even wanted to pursue television, suggesting that the actress may be more interested in OTT projects.
“I don’t know woh television mein kaam karna chahti bhi hai ki nahi. I think woh OTT mein kaam karna chahti hai jahan par everything is fine.”
(I don’t know whether she even wants to work in television. I think she wants to work in OTT, where everything is fine.)
She also criticised what she described as differing standards for television and OTT performers.
“Acting ki baat koi kar hi nahi rahi hai jo actual chhez hai teeno hi mediums mein. Image ki baatein horahi hai.”
(Nobody is talking about acting, which is the actual job across all three mediums. The discussion is only about image.)
Expressing support for Akanksha, Narayani said, “Unki jo image hai woh OTT ke liye perfect hai, agar woh bisexual hai, good for her. She’s happy, good.”
(The image she has is perfect for OTT. If she is bisexual, good for her. If she’s happy, that’s good.)
When asked whether television audiences and the industry would accept such openness, Narayani remarked, “Television mein aapko achchhi bahu, good girl, jo bisexual na ho, jo virgin ho, aisi chahiye hoti hai na.”
(In television, people generally want the image of an ideal daughter-in-law, a good girl, someone who isn’t bisexual and fits a very conventional image.)
She concluded by saying that OTT platforms tend to be more accepting of diverse identities and personal choices.
Also Read: Lock Upp 2: Harshad Chopda Stands For Shivangi Joshi, Ram Kapoor Calls Them “Bhai Behen”
