• Source:JND
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Recent departures from the popular daily soap Anupamaa, including Nidhi Shah, Paras Kalnawat and Sudhanshu Pandey, have sparked conversation. While Nidhi and Sudhanshu haven't publicly implicated any coworkers, Paras Kalnawat has hinted at tensions with lead actress Rupali Ganguly. In a candid discussion on the YouTube podcast Chuddy Buddy, hosted by Bhaktiyar Irani and Ali Asgar, Nidhi and Paras opened up about allegedly experiencing a toxic work environment on the Anupamaa set, shedding light on the behind-the-scenes dynamics that may have contributed to their exits.

Nidhi pointed out the ‘toxic’ work culture on Anupamaa set. She said, “We used to cry during scenes. He (Sudhanshu) was under such strain—his health was compromised. There were days he’d need to rest, leaving everyone waiting. At his worst, he’d rely on 5-6 painkillers daily to get through 15-page solo scenes. There was a trigger point, a person, who made scenes challenging. Our interactions became so repetitive and emotionally exhausting that we no longer wanted to share the screen. Eventually, even being near each other on set felt uncomfortable.”

Although Nidhi praised Rupali Ganguly's acting skills and denied personal issues, she admitted that 2-3 out of 10 core actors created problems. Paras Kalnawat disclosed that his scenes were mysteriously cut without explanation. Nidhi corroborated Paras' account, sharing similar frustrations, including cuts to her scenes, wardrobe disputes, and styling issues, suggesting underlying conflicts that affected their roles and ultimately led to their departures.

“It’s been two and a half years since I left, and it was sudden. I didn’t know if I was quitting or being fired. I wanted to leave, but there’s no policy to allow actors to quit—they prefer firing you. If you try to leave, things turn sour. I wanted more development for my character, but someone ended my track abruptly. Because it’s the top show, the channel didn’t intervene. If someone complained about me, no one questioned it. We all knew who had issues,” said Paras.

Earlier, in a conversation with ETimes, Paras Kalnawat had said, “Previously in an interview with ETimes, Paras had said, “My scenes were cut. I was put in a bad light; people started falsely gossiping about me that I had threatened them and spoken certain things about them. As I said, I had not done that. And if a senior is going to talk against you, the makers are going to believe the senior only.” In the same interview he said that Rupali did not contact him after he left the show. He stated that he still respects her as he feels she has a bit of love left for him.”