From Hina Khan to Pankhuri Awasthy: Here's why these actors left Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai

Pankhuri Awasthy, who played the role of Vedika in the show, has called it quits. Speaking to BT, Pankhuri revealed that she wasn’t happy with the way her track was shaping up. She said, “My track was shaping up well. However, it slipped towards the end and I just couldn’t relate to it. Besides, the ratings after my re-entry (after the break when she was shooting for the film) didn’t match up. Though the character had an edge, it became redundant. Since it made no sense to leave the show abruptly, I continued doing it.” Initially, she also received quite a lot of flak for coming in between the lead actors – Mohsin Khan (Kartik) and Shivangi Joshi (Naira). Addressing the same Pankhuri said, “During the course of my track, I received a lot of flak from viewers on my social media handles. Some even got personal. However, I didn’t mind.”

Naira and Kartik's son Kairav became the favourite of loyal YRKKH fans and he received good reviews for his innocence and cute portrayal. But now to fans' dismay, the young actor is all set to bid adieu to the show. According to reports, Kairav aka Shaurya Shah will be quitting the show owing to health conditions. Shaurya shared a cute note on social media, which soon was deleted from his social media account. He wrote, "GOOD-BYE” I am grateful to the entire team of YRKKH for all the love, support and care. I extend a big thank you to all my fans for loving me as “Kairav” you all will be missed until me meet again. Last but not the least thank you Jai sir for believing in me. Naira didi u will always be my favourite and will be missed forever. Miss u all. He was close to actress Shivangi Joshi aka Naira who essayed the role of his onscreen another. Photo- Instagram.

Deblina Chatterjee, who played the role of Gayu, has quit Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. The show is set to take another 5-year leap, wherein the actress is required to play mother to a 5-year old kid. Not comfortable with the idea, Deblina has chosen to bid adieu to the show. When contacted, Deblina said, "Yes, I have quit the show, but I don’t want to comment on it further." Currently, the actress is seen pregnant on the show and married to Kartik's (Mohsin Khan) youngest uncle, Samarth (Samir Onkar). (Photo: Instagram)

Hina Khan, who played Akshara on Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, quit the show in 2016. The actress was part of the show for good 8 years, before it took the generation leap. She opted out of 'Yeh Rishta' as she felt her character had become monotonous and there was nothing more to explore in it. Hina wasn't even on good terms with the male lead, Karan Mehra aka Naitik. Her walking out didn't go down well with Rajan Shahi, the producer of the show, who back then shared with TOI that the show did even better without the actress' character. Quick to snap, Hina had then told us, "I don’t want to get into this blame game. Well, he can say whatever he wishes to. Everybody has the right to express, but being a producer, why was he quiet when we were part of the show for eight long years?

While Hina Khan might have had her own reasons for quitting the show, Karan Mehra, who played Naitik, followed her footsteps soon. A couple of months after Hina's exit, Karan, too, left the show. He told TOI later in an interview, "I have no regrets quitting the show. My health went for a toss and I needed to look after myself. Mujhe kuchh ho jaata kal ko tab bhi show chalta rehta. My immunity dipped because of inadequate rest. It took me a year to get over my health woes." Karan was then seen in Bigg Boss 10.

Right after Karan and Hina's exit, the next actor to leave the show in succession was Rohan Mehra. He essayed the character of Naksh for a year. Even though the actor was quite attached to the show, he chose to leave it in search of better professional opportunities. His desire to participate in the controversial reality show, Bigg Boss, led him to move on. Incidentally, on the show, he competed with his on-screen father Karan Mehra. It is also to be noted that while Hina wasn't so pally with Karan, she continues to remain friends with Rohan.

Just like Hina Khan, Kanchi Singh, who was seen as Gayatri Deora (Gayu), didn't see any future for her character. She left soon after her boyfriend Rohan bid adieu to the show. She had told TOI, "I totally understand that shifting focus from a popular couple — Kartik and Naira — to any other character could be detrimental to the show, but my character was completely sidelined in the bargain. I wish the 'Yeh Rishta...' team all the best. I'll always be indebted to producer Rajan Shahi, who launched me in the industry."

Like many television actresses her age, Parul Chauhan, who played Swarna on Yeh Rishta, walked out of the show as she did not want to play a grandmother. Talking exclusively to the TimesofIndia.com, the actress said, "Yes, I have quit the show as I was not ready to play the role of a grandmother at such an early stage in my career. I felt I won't be able to do justice to the role. I spoke to Rajan sir (Producer) and thankfully he understood my concerns." She has been replaced by Niyati Joshi. The actress is currently on a break from television.

Rishi Dev, who essayed the role of Naksh post leap, also walked out of the show last year. The actor in an interview with us shared that he will come up with something bigger and better. While he did not add much to that, his chemistry with Mohena Singh aka Kriti was loved by the viewers. In no time, the jodi made as much noise as Kartik and Naira's. They also had several fan clubs dedicated to them.

After playing Gayatri, Akshara's (Hina Khan) mother-in-law on the show for five years, actress Sonali Verma quit the show. She got married in 2013 and that led her to shift base to the US, where her husband Sachin Sachdeva lives.

Sanjay, who played Daddaji on the show, left Yeh Rishta due to the growing issues between him, Sonali Verma and Sandeep Mehta. The actor was unhappy due to the treatment meted out by the two. He shared with a television portal that the environment on the set was not a healthy one and he was uncomfortable with his co-stars. He also cited health issues for leaving the show.

Pooja Joshi, who played Varsha Maheshwari in the show, went on a maternity break in 2017. The actress hasn't been seen in the daily soap ever since. She is now a part of Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke instead (a spin off of Yeh Rishta). She continues to play the same character in it.