The premiere episode of Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa sent shockwaves through the television industry when contestant Akanksha Chamola used the platform to reveal that she and her husband, actor Gaurav Khanna, were headed for a mutual divorce after living separately for close to a year. In the days since, the couple’s close friend, actor Anuj Sachdeva, has weighed in on how the announcement landed — and, notably, how blindsided Khanna reportedly was by the way it came out.
Speaking with a journalist, Sachdeva, best known for his work on Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, said he himself hadn’t realised the couple had been living apart for around nine months, and that Khanna had no idea Chamola was planning to make their situation public through a reality show. Sachdeva added that he spoke with Khanna only after the news broke, and made a point of noting that his friend has chosen not to air the details of the split publicly, unlike his estranged wife.
Chamola had also told viewers that she was looking forward to enjoying her personal freedom following the split. Responding to that framing, Sachdeva pushed back on the idea that she had felt trapped in the marriage, arguing that Khanna had been a devoted partner who gave her everything she wanted. He went so far as to question the timing of her going public now, after years of staying private about their situation, suggesting it may have been a calculated move to generate attention for the show.
For her part, Chamola has maintained that there is no animosity between her and Khanna, saying the two continue to support one another and that both families had been hoping for a reconciliation. She later grew emotional while discussing the split, describing the moment as an incredibly difficult one to process, and pointed to differing views on having children as the central reason the marriage ultimately couldn’t continue.
Khanna has since made a public appearance of his own, addressing the situation directly at a promotional event. He affirmed that his feelings for Chamola and his support for her remain unchanged, telling those present that he intends to keep standing by her regardless of their marital status, given the decade-long history they share.
As the story continues to develop across the Lock Upp 2 season, both Khanna and Chamola appear to be handling the fallout with restraint, even as fans and the industry at large continue to process the unexpected end to their ten-year relationship.
