Gaurav Khanna Opens Up On His Arguments With Anupamaa Co-Star Rupali Ganguly: ‘I Won’t Call Her A Friend’
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Gaurav Khanna admits to on-set altercations with Rupali Ganguly, says he wouldn’t call her a ‘friend’ off-screen.
Gaurav Khanna recently won Celebrity Masterchef.
Anupamaa continues to rule hearts, but behind-the-scenes drama often grabs headlines too. Gaurav Khanna, known for playing Anuj Kapadia, recently got candid about his working relationship with lead actress Rupali Ganguly. Amid speculation of a fallout following his exit from the show, the actor has finally broken his silence.
Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Gaurav addressed the buzz around his bond with Rupali. While he praised her as a performer and called her one of his favourite co-actors, he clarified that he wouldn’t describe her as a friend. “Main Rupali ko friend nahi bolunga (I won’t call her a friend). Rupali is a wonderful human being from whom I’ve learnt a lot,” he said, adding, “A friend is someone you can call anytime and share things with—I’m not on those terms with anyone, not even Sudhanshu.”
Gaurav also acknowledged that there were occasional altercations on set but maintained that they were strictly creative differences. “Altercations hote the scenes ko leke (there used to be altercations about scenes), because everyone has their own interpretation,” he shared. “She’s the lead, the face of the show. If I insisted on doing scenes my way, that would be wrong—and I never did that.”
He reiterated that Rupali carried a lot of responsibility as the central figure of the show and he always respected her seniority. Gaurav also expressed admiration for co-star Sudhanshu Pandey, calling him spiritual and a great singer. “He’s very talented. I used to tell him, ‘Don’t ever quit singing.’ I’m glad he’s coming out with more music now.”
Produced by Rajan Shahi and Deepa Shahi under Director’s Kut Productions, Anupamaa has remained one of Indian television’s top-rated shows. Led by Rupali Ganguly in the titular role, it has undergone several cast changes but continues to enjoy immense popularity. The current storyline also features Adrija Roy and Shivam Khajuria as part of the next generation.