By Kalash Khurana Last Updated:
The glamour world looks enticing and full of fun from the outside. However, it has a dark side clutched in the claws of the evils of society. One such social evil is domestic violence and several TV actresses have been at the receiving end of it. Their experiences showed that riches and fame don't make you immune to domestic violence. Most of all, these cases are a proof that domestic violence can happen to anyone.
While some celebrities shared their traumatising experiences with domestic violence at the hands of their partners, others observed silence about the same. Thus, they provided a voice to those who are still in abusive relationships, as well as survivors. Moreover, this also helped in decreasing the stigma around domestic violence and physical abuse and also reduced the feelings of embarrassment for those, who are experiencing abuse. Here's a list of 8 TV actresses, who have been outspoken about their personal experiences with domestic violence in their relationships.
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Rashami Desai and her husband, Nandish Sandhu had got hitched in 2012. The actress had endured a troubled relationship with Nandish and after 2 years of their marriage, Rashami had realised that it was enough. Owing to which they had decided to part ways and stay separately. The couple had applied for a divorce, but later on, had made peace with each other and had participated in the dance reality show, Nach Baliye 7. There were reports that Rashami had faced physical violence. In an interview with Pinkvilla, when the actress was asked about the rumours, she had said:
"After 6 years of physical abuse, I took the divorce. We had a lot of complaints, we did argue and fought for a lot of things but in the end, we are happy individually today. And I really respect that when we are together in the same place or bump into each other at a party, we are very cordial and we don’t have complaints anymore."
Chahatt Khanna, who is known for portraying the role of 'Ayesha' in the daily soap, Bade Ache Lagte Hain, had got married to Farhan Mirza in 2013. However, her husband had tortured her after marriage, so she had decided to go for a divorce and ended the marriage in 2018. The couple was blessed with two daughters, Zohar and Amaira. In an interview with Bombay Times, the actress revealed:
"It was not just sexual abuse, I went through financial and mental abuse, too. The atmosphere in the house was driving me crazy. He would accuse me of prostitution and having an affair with a co-actor. He would make surprise visits on the set of my show (Qubool Hai) and create a fuss when I had to hug or even hold hands with my co-actor on screen. Once, he threw a fit after I received an invite for the same co-actor's housewarming party; he concluded that I was dating him."
Indian model and TV actress, Dimpy Ganguly garnered a lot of limelight when she got married to Rahul Mahajan in 2010, on the reality show, Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega. However, their relationship did not last long, and just after four months of their marriage, the couple decided to part ways. Dimpy had alleged that Rahul had physically abused her and had also filed a complaint against him for the same. However, Dimpy is now happily married to a Dubai-based engineer, Rohit Roy, and the couple was blessed with a daughter and a son. In a conversation with Mumbai Mirror, Dimpy talked about her experience and said:
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“Early morning Rahul woke me up to know the contents of a message that had just beeped on my phone. Since the phone had the key-pad lock on, Rahul was unable to operate it. Whenever I go on my Kolkata trips, he would get angry and physical. One such fight got so out of hand that I had to call my mother-in-law. Later he was angry that I had involved his mother in the affair. At one point, Rahul even pointed a gun at me. He is a nice guy, but when he loses it, there is no telling what he might do.”
Former Bigg Boss contestant and actress, Deepshikha Nagpal, is famous for her role as 'Ruby' in the show, Sonpari. The talented actress tied the marital knot for the second time in 2012, with her actor-boyfriend, Kaishav Arora. But soon after their marriage, the couple started experiencing a conflict of interests which had further led to clashes between them. Deepshikha had filed an FIR against Kaishav Arora for assaulting her physically and asking for money. As things got out of hand, Deepshikha had decided to file for a divorce and the two had parted ways. In an interview, Deepshikha talked about her experience and shared:
“I decided to file the case because I don’t want him to spoil any other girl’s life. He would flirt and lie to other women even when we were married. No woman should tolerate any kind of physical abuse. He cheated on me with other girls and I think every girl should now be beware of how he is.”
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Another Indian TV actress, who had suffered an abusive marriage is Rucha Gujarathi. Rucha is well known for her role in the daily soaps, Bhabhi and Kkusum. She had tied the knot with businessman, Mitul Sanghvi, in October 2010. However, very soon after her marriage, she had filed for a divorce. Moreover, Rucha had also filed a case against her in-laws and her husband, for attacking her and her father. She had openly come out about her troubled marriage with dignity and courage. The actress is now happily married to Vishal, whom she had met through common friends. The couple tied the knot on December 12, 2016. After separating with her husband, Rucha Gujarathi in an interview with ETimes had said:
"I believe I have come out of the marriage gracefully. My past is history now and I want to look forward to a new beginning without any regrets. I am proud of the way I dealt with the whole situation. The divorce hasn’t made me bitter. Though nothing can bring back the time I spent on my marriage, fortunately, I sailed through and I am back."
Indian TV actress, Dalljiet Kaur, who had played the role of 'Niyati' in the TV serial, Kulvadhu, had married TV actor, Shaleen Bhanot on December 9, 2009. The couple had won Nach Baliye 4, and everyone around them had adored their fairytale romance. But, to everyone’s surprise, Dalljiet had filed an FIR against Shaleen for grabbing her by her throat, in an attempt to strangle her. In 2016, the couple had parted ways. In an interview with The Times Of India, the actress had shared:
"No doubt it was a tough phase. I am no more revengeful or have any angst. I am done with that phase. I don’t hold any regrets, grudge or ego. If Shaleen wants to co-exist, I am fine with it. My only priority is my son and his happiness. I am doing all that it needs to be a good single mother. If Shaleen can be a good father to him and can contribute in my son’s upbringing and towards his happiness, I am content. I want my son to grow-up as a happy person. For that if Shaleen wants to meet him for a minute or 10 hours I have no problem. I am ready to co-exist."
Popular television actress, Vaishnavi Dhanraj had tied the knot with another television actor, Nitin Sehrawat, in 2016, and had got separated in the same year. Four years after ending her marriage with Nitin, in an interview with Spotboye.com, Vaishnavi had openly spoken about her troubled marriage. Revealing the reason behind her divorce, Vaishnavi had shared:
“I was a victim of domestic violence, which Nitin imposed on me. I couldn’t take it beyond a certain point. I even took him for counselling. Our parents too did everything to make him understand. But nothing worked. I kept hoping that he would change and our marriage would work but he still went on. Most of the time in my marriage with Nitin, I used to be in a depression. It became impossible for me to carry on with Nitin. One morning, it became very bad. He wouldn’t have killed me probably, but I got so scared that I ran away from the house. He had beaten me so badly that my leg was bleeding. That was my last day as his wife- emotionally, physically and mentally. I eventually got a divorce.”
Shweta Tiwari married actor, Raja Chaudhary in 1998, and they welcomed their first child, Palak Tiwari, in 2000. They were living a happy married life until Raja had become insecure about his wife, Shweta's ever-increasing popularity. As per the reports, Raja would often create a scene on the sets of her shows, and would forcibly manage her money. So, at the age of 27, after things got out of hand, Shweta ended her 9-year-old marriage with Raja. Shweta had filed for a divorce and had complained that she had suffered domestic abuse in her marriage with him. Later, in 2013, Shweta had married Abhinav Kohli, and they embraced parenthood with their son, Reyansh, who was born in 2016. However, in 2017, the actress had filed a complaint of domestic violence against Abhinav too, following which he was taken under police custody. Abhinav and Shweta separated in 2017.
Undoubtedly, these TV actresses have motivated thousands of other women out there, who are victims of physical abuse and have inspired them to raise their voices.
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