'Pavitra Rishta' Fame, Usha Nadkarni Reflects On Her Violent Childhood, Says, 'Father Attacked Me..'

Veteran television actress, Usha Nadkarni, is one of the most beloved personas in the industry. She rose to fame for her unforgettable portrayal of 'Savita Deshmukh' in Ankita Lokhande and Sushant Singh Rajput's Pavitra Rishta. The actress is known for her candid attitude and has opened up about her childhood in Mumbai, where discipline ruled the household. However, her childhood was laced with fear rather than affection. And now, in a candid conversation with Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa, the 79-year-old spoke candidly about her parents.

Usha Nadkarni opens up about her traumatic childhood

Usha Nadkarni has been the soul of every serial she has worked in. However, behind her 'no damns given' attitude, there is a painful trauma which stems from her childhood. Usha opened up about her parents in the podcast with Harsh and Bharti, revealing that her mother was a teacher and her father was an Air Force officer. She recalled the incident that changed her life and stated:

"They were very strict. He was a very violent man; we were terrified of him. One of us would be beaten up, and the other two would run. Once, my brother was being beaten up for some reason, and I tried to stop him. He attacked me with a koita (machete). You know, one of those knives with a curved edge? I got injured on my arm, and I had a play the next day. I went to perform with the injury."

Usha Nadkarni previously opened up about how her father beat her brother 

In the same conversation, Usha recalled another horrifying moment when her brother was beaten so badly that he lost consciousness. The actress revealed that her father would often try to soften the blow of his violent outbursts with small gestures of affection. In a conversation with Pinkvilla, Usha Nadkarni revealed:

"He once beat my brother unconscious. He would bring us special ice cream after a particularly bad beating."

Usha revealed that her father would get triggered by the smallest mistake. She recalled that if he found the newspaper crumpled or crooked, he would lose his temper and tear the newspaper to bits. She added that if he saw their schoolbooks weren't kept in neat rows, he would tear them up in anger. Usha added that their mother would tell him that he'd have to buy them new books, so he shouldn't tear them. 

Usha Nadkarni's parents didn't want her to pursue a career in acting

Usha Nadkarni revealed that both her parents were against her desire to pursue acting. She revealed that when she first told her mother about it, she reacted harshly and threw all her clothes out in the street and kicked her out. She added that she had to stay at her friend's place for a week before her father came to bring her back home. Nonetheless, that fear remained deeply ingrained in her.

Usha recounted an instance when friends came unannounced to her house to ask permission for her to accompany them on a picnic. She revealed that she was so scared of her father that she ran away and hid. Usha now lives alone in Mumbai, her brother, whom she called her biggest supporter, passed away earlier in 2025. 

From surviving a turbulent home to becoming one of television's most respected actors, Usha Nadkarni has come a long way. What are your thoughts on her story? Let us know.

Next Read: Matt Lauer Spotted Years After Living A Low-Key Life Post Getting Fired From NBC's Today Show

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Get App

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Choose your device Android or IOS (Apple)