Television actress Sanchita Ugale died by suicide on June 14 after she was found hanging at her residence in Nalasopara. In the days that followed, some of her colleagues accused her Saajan Ghar co-star Ujjwal Sharma of mental harassment and intimidation. Breaking his silence for the first time since the controversy, Ujjwal shares, “Sanchita’s untimely demise was shocking. I had repeatedly tried to console and encourage her. Then, to suddenly see my name being linked to it was something I never imagined.” Ujjwal and Sanchita became friends while working together on Saajan Ghar. He recalls, “Sanchita once told me she was going through a difficult phase after a breakup. I never asked her about the person involved and instead kept encouraging her to focus on her health and career. However, her health deteriorated. The producers gave the entire cast a month-long break. During that time, they also arranged psychiatric consultations for Sanchita. Unfortunately, her condition didn’t improve, and another actress had to be brought in.” According to him, Sanchita remained in touch for a while after leaving the show. He says, “She would occasionally message me about her health and also mentioned having suicidal thoughts. I kept telling her not to lose hope.” Ujjwal says they lost touch for nearly two months before she contacted him again. He says, “We hadn’t spoken for almost two months. Then, out of nowhere, she messaged asking me to return `3,000 that she had spent on me and my friends at a restaurant. We often paid for one another during outings, so I never imagined it would become an issue. What shocked me more was the abusive language she used. I transferred the money to her mother’s account and, in anger, called her ‘chapri’. I admit I reacted, but only after being repeatedly abused. The screenshots circulating online are selectively one-sided.” On why he has chosen to speak now, he says, “I first submitted my statement to the Mumbai Police and cooperated with the investigation. Only after handing over all the screenshots and conversations did I feel it was appropriate to speak publicly.” ‘People judged me without waiting to know the truth’ He adds, “After my number was circulated online, I started receiving abusive messages and death threats. People judged me without waiting to know the truth and my reputation was destroyed overnight. It wasn’t just me, my parents also had to deal with calls from relatives and neighbours. Through it all, they kept telling me to cooperate with the police and stand by the truth. This episode has taken a toll on me mentally, emotionally and professionally.”
