Why Ankita Lokhande is facing backlash for remembering Sushant Singh Rajput on Bigg Boss 17?

Despite grief being a universal emotion, irrespective of social stature, celebrities often face scrutiny from society. To understand this, we consulted counselors, and Parul Adlakha, a psychologist from Delhi, helped decipher the audience’s mindset and explained how grieving on camera can be misconstrued. She said, “Be it a celebrity or anybody else, grieving doesn’t have one singular phenomenon. For some, it can be a prolonged process. Because Ankita is a celebrity and she is on a show that itself is very controversial, so whatever she says is bound to be taken out of context.”

Parul Adlakha also highlighted that when a person shares a deeply personal story, they may forget about the cameras recording them. She said, “I am sure that the person who is speaking is also aware that there are cameras, but sometimes you forget about them when you recall something emotional and speaking your heart out. I am not taking sides here, but there is no particular mandate about grieving, that you can’t do it in public or that it has to be done only in private.”

The psychologist emphasised that speaking up and acknowledging the past is considered healthy and blamed the audience for misjudging. She said, “It is evident that some trigger or when someone asks about Sushant only then Ankita speaks about him. Also, she remembers him like a fond memory. She didn’t cry saying why did he do it. If somebody is expressing their views, especially on camera or in the public eye, it is usually taken out of context. Because there is a general perception that camera ke liye toh acting he hai (If it is for the camera, it is acting). The problem is perception here. If I talk about the therapy process, we make the person talk because that helps. The means of expression can be different, but the expression in itself is not wrong.”

Ankita and Sushant were in a relationship for seven years before they parted ways in 2016. After the actor died in 2020, the Pavitra Rishta actor was very vocal on social media, sharing her cherished memories of the late actor. This invited a lot of scrutiny from Sushant’s fans who accused her of using his death for fame. This raises the question: Why was Ankita labeled an opportunist for sharing memories on Instagram when those seven years were a significant part of her life?

Noida-based psychologist Samriddhi Khatri sheds light on this, explaining how silence has traditionally been the accepted way of grieving. When a person chooses to grieve on social media, it is often perceived as frivolous. She said, “There is no code of grieving. Some people might need silence and that’s traditionally acceptable and some might require social support that they do not have in their network and they seek it on social media. Some people might do it for attention but not everybody, but who are we to judge? Maybe getting those supportive comments on social media helps someone get reassurance and helps them deal with things better. When you go to meet someone who is grieving, you don’t start commenting on them, then why do it on social media?”

Mumbai-based psychologist Aanchal, founder of Another Light Counselling, and believes that openly discussing trauma and struggles promotes a healthy outlook. She said, “Grief is such a normal emotion that we all go through. And if celebrities are openly sharing their journey in the public eye it is nice because it promotes a healthy outlook towards things. One has to be very authentic so that people can relate to it and see that some of these emotional struggles aren’t concentrated on money or fame and that they can happen to people who have money and fame.”

Recently, amid the troll storm, Sushant Singh Rajput’s sister Shweta Singh Kirti came out in the actor’s support. She posted an old picture with her and called her the, ‘best and the purest.’ Fans also rallied behind Ankita, defending her emotional moments on the show.

A fan defended Ankita saying that since she spent a lot of time with Sushant it is normal for her to share his memory. He wrote, “Ankita Gets Emotional Talking About Sushant Singh Rajput. She has spent a lot of time with him and it’s normal when she talks about her past. Stay strong Ankita 🥹♥️.” Another fan defended the actor and pointed out how Ankita has also said positive things about Sushant. The fan wrote, “Ankita- ‘Uske baare me baat krna achha lagta hai, proud feeling ati hai.’ A lot of SSR fans had trolled and blamed Ankita, but never tried to feel and understand the love she had for Sushant ❤️✨.”

The Bigg Boss 17 finale is on January 28, and while it remains to be seen if Ankita will take home the trophy, she has already won hearts by being her authentic self.