Ankita Lokhande

Ankita Lokhande Jain (; born Tanuja Lokhande; 19 December 1984) is an Indian actress known for her work in Hindi films and television. She made her acting debut with the role of Archana Manav Deshmukh in Pavitra Rishta and is the recipient of 3 Gold Awards, 1 ITA Award, and 2 Indian Telly Award. She also appeared in the films Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, Baaghi 3 and Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. In 2023, she participated in Bigg Boss 17.

Early life Lokhande was born as Tanuja Lokhande, on 19 December 1984 in Indore She also has two brothers Sooraj and Arpan, and a sister Jyoti. After graduating she moved to Mumbai in 2005 to pursue a career in acting. She has been a badminton champion, during her early days.

Career Debut and establishment (2009–2018)

After participating in India's Best Cinestars Ki Khoj (2007–09), Lokhande bagged the lead role of Archana Deshmukh in Ekta Kapoor's daily soap Pavitra Rishta. She portrayed Archana opposite Sushant Singh Rajput and Hiten Tejwani from 2009 to 2014. Pavitra Rishta took a generation leap in 2013 and Lokhande also began playing Archana's granddaughter Ankita Karmarkar, opposite Karan Veer Mehra, until the series ended in 2014.

Lokhande participated in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4, where she was ranked 5th

After a two-year hiatus from acting and her separation from Rajput, there were reports that Lokhande was set to make her film debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period drama Padmaavat (2018). However, she left the film, stating that she was not ready for films at that time. The following year, speculation spread that she had been signed for Girish Malik's film Torbaaz along with Sanjay Dutt. However, rumours proved to be untrue after Malik stated that Lokhande was not going to be involved with the film.

Expansion to films (2019–2022)

In 2018, Lokhande announced that she would make her film debut in the role of Jhalkaribai, a warrior in Krish and Kangana Ranaut's joint directorial venture Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, an epic drama based on the life of Rani Lakshmi Bai. The film was released on the eve of Republic Day 2019 and emerged as a hit at the box office.

Lokhande next starred in Sajid Nadiadwala's action thriller film Baaghi 3 in 2020, the third part of the Baaghi trilogy, alongside Tiger Shroff, Shraddha Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh. She played the role of Kapoor's elder sister married to Deshmukh's character. The film was released prior to the shutdown of theatres owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in India, which affected the box office performance. Filmfare stated, "The two girls Shraddha and Ankita, despite the build-up about them both being fiery characters, have nothing to do really in the film."

Lokhande reprised her role as Archana Deshmukh in the web series Pavitra Rishta: It's Never Too Late along with Shaheer Sheikh from 2021 to 2022. In her review, Archika Khurana said, "As Archana, Ankita gives a well-balanced and likeable performance. She makes us believe that this role was custom-made for her." In February 2022, Lokhande participated in StarPlus' Smart Jodi with her husband, Vicky Jain, subsequently becoming the winner of the season.

Further career and recent work (2023-present)

In 2023, she played a woman going through a divorce in the film The Last Coffee. Times of India wrote, "Lokhande looks stunning and shines brightly in emotional scenes." From 2023 to 2024, Lokhande appeared as a contestant on the reality TV show Bigg Boss 17. She joined the show alongside her husband, Vicky Jain. Lokhande was placed as the 3rd runner-up of the show.

In 2024, Lokhande appeared in Swatantrya Veer Savarkar , playing Yamunabai Savarkar opposite Randeep Hooda. Sana Farzeen of India Today stated, "Ankita Lokhande gives an honest performance even though she doesn't have much to do."

Personal life Lokhande co-starred with Sushant Singh Rajput in Pavitra Rishta, and they began dating in 2010. Rajput proposed to her on the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4. In a 2016 interview, the couple spoke of marrying each other. But the same year, the couple parted their ways. She later said in an interview that Rajput wanted to focus on his career and hence they parted ways.

In 2019, Lokhande revealed her relationship with Vicky Jain, a businessman from Bilaspur. Lokhande married Jain on 14 December 2021 in a traditional ceremony in Mumbai.

Media image Lokhande has established herself as one of the most popular and highest-paid television actresses in India. In UK-based newspaper Eastern Eyes "50 Sexiest Asian Women" list, Lokhande was placed 29th in 2013. In 2024, she was featured on the Times Square's billboard.

Filmography Films Year Title Role Ref. 2019 Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi Jhalkaribai 2020 Baaghi 3 Ruchi Chaturvedi 2023 The Last Coffee Iram Qureshi 2024 Swatantrya Veer Savarkar Yamunabai Savarkar

Television

Special appearances

Web series Year Title Role Notes Ref. 2021–2022 Pavitra Rishta: It's Never Too Late Archana Deshmukh 2024 Amrapali Amrapali Filming

Music videos + Year Title Singer Ref. 2024 Laa Pila De Sharaab Vishal Mishra

Awards and nominations