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Ankita Lokhande mourns death of first Pavitra Rishta friend Priya Marathe; Usha Nadkarni calls her ‘a quiet girl’: ‘First Sushant Singh Rajput, and now…’

After untimely death of actor Priya Marathe, her Pavitra Rishta co-star and close friend Ankita Lokhande took to Instagram to express her grief.

Ankita Lokhande remembers Priya Marathe. (Pic: Ankita/Instagram)

As the television industry continues to mourn the death of actor Priya Marathe, her Pavitra Rishta co-star and close friend Ankita Lokhande has taken to Instagram to express her grief. Priya, who passed away at the age of 38 on August 31 after a prolonged battle with cancer, had worked with Ankita in Pavitra Rishta, which also marked Ankita’s acting debut.

In her emotional post, Ankita recalled how Priya was her first friend on the sets of Pavitra Rishta and how their bond only grew stronger over time. She wrote, “Priya was my first friend from Pavitra Rishta. Me, Prarthana and Priya.. our little gang… it always felt so wholesome when we were together. Priya, Prats and I lovingly called each other wedee in Marathi, and that bond was truly special..”

Ankita further shared that Priya stood by her through both good and difficult times. She wrote, “Priya never once missing to show up when I needed her.” Talking about Priya’s strong family bond and traditions, Ankita added, “She never missed attending the Gauri Maha Aarti during Ganpati Bappa, and this year, I’ll pray for your soul there, my wedee… while missing you dearly. Priya was the strongest, she fought every battle with so much courage. Aaj ti nahiye amchya sobat, and it breaks my heart to even write this.”

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The actor concluded her heartfelt note with a moving message: “Losing her is a reminder that we really never know the battles someone is fighting behind their smile.. So, be kind… always 🙏🏻 Priya, my dear wedee, you will always live in my heart and in my memories. Thank you for every laugh, every tear, every moment. Until we meet again… Om Shanti 🕊️🙏”

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A post shared by Ankita Lokhande (@lokhandeankita)

Veteran actor Usha Nadkarni, who also worked with Priya in Pavitra Rishta, remembered her fondly in a conversation with Telly Chakkar. She said, “Priya was a very quiet girl. She used to only be concerned with her work, never did any masti or interfered with anyone on set. This wasn’t the age to leave us. She had just got married, she should’ve been starting a family, raising her kids.”

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She added, “First Sushant (Singh Rajput) left us and now Priya — it’s like the heart and soul of Pavitra Rishta have gone. We spent about five and a half years shooting together, even visiting each other’s homes. She was always well-mannered and respectful. I had last met her at Ankita (Lokhande)’s home two years ago, and sadly, we couldn’t meet after that.”

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