Kumkum Bhagya fame Sanchita Ugale's suicide has sent shockwaves through the television industry, her family, and close friends. The 22-year-old actress died by suicide at her residence in Nalasopara, Mumbai, on June 22. While the reason behind her death remains unknown, her close friend and Pushpa Impossible actress Indraxi Kanjilal alleged that the late actress faced harassment from her Saajan Ghar co-star Ujjwal Sharma.
Ujjwal played the role of Sanchita's on-screen partner. In an exclusive conversation with Times of India TV, Indraxi alleged that Sanchita experienced mental harassment while working on the show. She also disagreed with Ujjwal's claims that the actress's emotional struggles were linked to a past relationship.
Indraxi revealed that she shared a close bond with Sanchita and they were planning to meet soon. Speaking to TOI, Indraxi shared, "We met for the first time in a mock shoot for a show that is now scrapped. Our vibe matched so we started talking more. She got her show Saajan Ghar when I was in Korea. I congratulated her and she was very happy to be working on the show. When I returned from Korea this year, we were planning to meet soon, but she was really busy and also going through some sort of problem. Two months later, I got a casting call as they were looking for a new lead for Saajan Ghar, I got confused and texted Sanchita immediately."
The Wagle Ki Duniya actress claimed that Ujjwal subjected Sanchita to mental harassment while they worked together on Saajan Ghar. Indraxi said, "Sanchita told me she was leaving the show because of health issues. However, when I asked her about it, she told me how Ujjwal was mentally harassing and traumatizing her. She showed me screenshots and videos. I felt bad for her as I have gone through a similar experience in my previous show. I told her to inform the production, but she said she already told the director and no action was taken."
Indraxi lashed out at Ujjwal for commenting on Sanchita's love life: "I am shocked by Ujjwal's comments about Sanchita's personal life. He was not close enough to her to know anything about that aspect of her life. If he really wants to speak, he should talk about what he did to her."
Indraxi further revealed the reason behind the fight between Ujjwal and Sanchita and claimed that the bullying led Sanchita into depression: "She didn't want to leave the show but she had to because of all that bullying and harassment. The whole thing started when her co-actor borrowed money from her but didn't pay it back. Instead of returning the money, he scolded and insulted her, and even threatened to hit her. The bullying got so bad that her health started deteriorating; she had depression and anxiety as well."
The actress also spoke about their last conversation and shared how Sanchita was very hopeful about her future: "The last time I talked to her, she was going on a trip to Mahabaleshwar and was going to start auditioning after returning. Last week she seemed sad and anxious, so I told her to come over to my house, but she didn't want to leave her house. She might have been depressed subconsciously. She missed shooting for Saajan Ghar. I miss her already and I'm regretting that I didn't text her yesterday after seeing her Instagram story, which was a clip from Saajan Ghar. I am very sad."
As per police reports, the 22-year-old actress died by suicide at her residence in Sai Santoshi Building, Aachole Village, in Nalasopara East. The incident took place on June 14 between 7:00 pm and 7:30 pm. Assistant Police Inspector Vinod Bagh of Achole Police Station said that Sanchita had locked herself inside her bedroom and allegedly hanged herself from a ceiling fan using a saree.
We tried contacting Ujjwal Sharma, but he was unavailable for comment. We also sent him a message but did not receive a response by the time of filing this story.
Disclaimer: If you or someone you know is struggling with emotional distress or having thoughts of self-harm, please seek support from a mental health professional or contact a local crisis helpline. Help is available.
