Gaurav wants kids but I can't...: Akanksha Chamola on divorce
What's the story
Television actors Akanksha Chamola and Gaurav Khanna are headed for divorce, as per the former. The couple's differing opinions on parenthood reportedly led to their separation. On the OTT show Lock Upp Season 2, Chamola revealed that she never felt a strong desire to become a mother, which eventually created an emotional distance between her and Khanna.
Details
'Gradually, I realized that I am not meant for it'
In a clip that is going viral online, Chamola can be seen telling co-contestants Shreya Kalra and Sufi Motiwala, "When we were married, I never had a maternal instinct. But I was open to discovering it." "Gradually, however, I realized that I am not meant for it, and he was okay with that. But I guess in time that shifted." She added Khanna had initially accepted it but later developed a strong desire to have children, which she couldn't accept.
Separation
'I told him if he wants to leave me'
Chamola said she had communicated her feelings about not wanting children long before their separation. "Now he wants to have kids and I can't give him that. Nahi hai mere mein instinct, woh maine bohot pehle bol diya tha (I don't have the instinct; I had told him long ago). So we had a discussion where I told him if he wants to leave me, then leave me, fair enough."
Mutual respect
She doesn't blame him for wanting kids
Chamola also said she doesn't blame Khanna for wanting to become a father. "Log shaadi isliye karte hain, let's be honest...99% want to get married because they want to have kids and carry the family forward; otherwise, why would you get married? He is not wrong on his part." "And then Bigg Boss happened and I realized that isko bohot zyaada hai aur main nahi kar paa rahi hoon (He wants it badly and I am unable to provide that)."
Reality show
Khanna addressed the same issue on 'Bigg Boss 19'
The issue had come up when Khanna was a participant on Bigg Boss 19. On the show, he spoke about Chamola's decision not to have children, which drew mixed reactions from viewers. During a media interaction in the finale week, he was asked if discussing his personal life on national television was a calculated move. He said he respected and supported his wife's decision despite wanting a family of his own.