Ankita Lokhande took to Instagram on Sunday, 2 June, to share that she started her acting journey 15 years ago with Pavitra Rishta. In a long note, she expressed gratitude for the love she has received from fans all these years. The show also featured late actor Sushant Singh Rajput in a leading role, and Ankita remembered him fondly. Along with the note Ankita also shared a video compilation featuring memorable moments from Pavitra Rishta alongside snippets from her other projects.
Captioning the post on Instagram, Ankita wrote, "15 years ago, I started my journey as Archana in Pavitra Rishta. Little did I know that even after years, I will continue to get so much love for my role, which has even become my identity. I sometimes feel I was destined to be Archana. I had her in me, and I continue to have her in me. She has taught me a lot about life."
She added, "Main rahoon ya na rahoon, the love I have received, Archana and Pavitra Rishta has received from each one of you will keep me alive forever in your hearts, and I don't think there's anything more precious than that. But my journey wouldn't be complete if I didn't have Sushant's support. I didn't even know how to act when I started Pavitra Rishta. He taught me, and I will always be thankful for him."
The actor concluded with, "The show started a new kind of storytelling. Hindi television par Marathi culture ko dikhaya. Isse pehle kabhi koi aisa show aaya nahi tha. People could resonate with the show because of the innocence the show and the people involved in it had. And last but not the least, I would like to thank the television industry for giving me so much love. My first brush with fandom and stardom happened because of a television show, and I am always going to be thankful for that."
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)