From addressing divorce rumours with husband Gaurav Khanna to reacting to trolls attacking her for choosing not to have children; Akanksha Chamola gets candid about her life

Akanksha Chamola has been facing constant trolling on social media ever since her husband, Gaurav Khanna, won Bigg Boss 19. The actress, who has a lively and outspoken personality, often gets subjected to name-calling and online mockery. In her recent interview with Hauterrfly, the actress opened up about her life with husband Gaurav Khanna, dealing with trolls and her choice not to have children. (Photo: Instagram)

There may not always be open talk about a casting couch, but there have definitely been conversations about compromise. And they’re very upfront — extremely upfront. I’ll tell you, television is a fairly clean space. But if you’re trying to skip the queue and move ahead quickly, especially into something bigger, it can become a very tough and uncomfortable place, particularly if you don’t have a godfather backing you. I was never overly ambitious about any specific industry. (Photo: Instagram)

I just felt that if an opportunity was coming my way, I might as well attend the meeting. So you go for the first meeting, and then sometimes, even in that very first interaction, there’s a condition attached — that you’re expected to be ‘close’ to a certain person. It says so very clearly. They even talk about contracts stating that you’ll have to maintain a certain relationship or provide services in exchange for a role. It’s blunt and shockingly straightforward. And I was left wondering, what is this? (Photo: Instagram)

Gaurav and I have been married for nine years now. I honestly don’t understand why people don’t use common sense. We both belong to the same industry. These conversations have happened between us many times. Do people really think this is the first time either of us has been offered such shows? We’ve already discussed these things and have always been on the same page. He has been very supportive. He tells me that if I’m convinced about doing something, he will never interfere.and I’ve told him the same. If he wants to take up a project, he should go ahead. I would never question him. At the end of the day, we are professionals. That’s something many people fail to understand. (Photo: Instagram)

When we are performing, we aren't 'enjoying' anything—we are acting. We are paid to portray emotions. Whatever you see on screen is part of the performance. Sometimes two actors may not even get along personally, but their on-screen chemistry looks amazing because they know how to act. Okay, I signed the project without discussing it with Gaurav at that time because he was inside Bigg Boss. But when I went on the show to meet him, I told him, ‘Baby, I’m doing a web series,’ and he understood immediately. He was completely fine with it. After he came out of Bigg Boss, he already knew I had done that kind of show. I was busy with dubbing and related work, so everything was out in the open. Nothing was hidden between us. (Photo: Instagram)

Luckily, I come from a family where my in-laws are extremely supportive. They were sensible enough to understand that the whole matter was being exaggerated. More importantly, my husband stood by me — unlike the narrative people are creating on social media, saying things like ‘Gaurav is crying’ and all of that. The very first thing my husband asked me was, ‘Are you okay?’ That meant everything to me because he understood the situation I was in. From a man’s perspective, of course no one would like to see their wife in such a position, and I respect that. (Photo: Instagram)

I’ve also accepted that during my husband’s journey inside Bigg Boss, I was often misunderstood. It’s part of being in the public eye. People thought I was not a supportive wife because I wasn't giving him kids and he wants to be a father. Whether I want to be a mother or not is my choice, I don’t want to justify it to anyone. And then there's the assumption: 'Oh, she doesn’t want to lose her figure,' so what? My point is I’m not agreeing to anything. My point is, you don’t need to know my justification, logic, or excuse for not being a mother. I’m not asking, "Na tum kyun baccha laana chahte ho?" (Photo: Instagram)

From the time people found out that I don’t want to have kids, the comments have never stopped. That’s the problem in our country — people don’t understand boundaries. Even today, I’m not targeting anyone, but imagine you and I are sitting somewhere and someone walks in. The moment they hear you’re married, the first question is, ‘Oh, how many kids do you have?’ And if you say none, then it becomes, ‘Why not? When are you planning?’ This is so normalised here. You don’t even know what state of mind the other person is in — whether they’re happy in their marriage, whether they’re emotionally okay, whether they’re content with their partner. I’ve even been told things like, ‘If you’re happy with a dog, then obviously you won’t feel the need for a child.’ People say such things so casually. (Photo: Instagram)

See, if my husband didn’t want to be with me, why would he stay for nine years? He could have left long ago. It’s not like he’s waiting for some tenth-year miracle where I suddenly change my mind. There’s no such deadline or hope like that. Both of us have the freedom to walk away and live our own separate lives if we want to. But we are still choosing each other. No one is forcing anyone to stay. We are in this marriage by choice, and we’re happy with that decision. (Photo: Instagram)