Ankita Lokhande to debut in Bollywood with 'Manikarnika': Lesser known facts about the actress

Ankita Lokhande is one of the few small screen divas, who is gearing up for her big Bollywood debut. The beautiful actress rose to fame on Ekta Kapoor's long-running daily soap, 'Pavitra Rishta'. She won a place in people's hearts by playing the girl next door character named Archana.
As Ankita gears up for her break in 'Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi' alongside Kangana Ranaut, here's a list of a few lesser known facts about the star...

Ankita Lokhande made her small screen debut with the celebrated show 'Pavitra Rishta', but that was not actually going to be her debut show. Ankita was initially supposed to debut in a romantic school drama 'Baali Umar Ko Salaam'. However, as things didn't work out, the show was scrapped and she was picked by Ekta Kapoor to play the lead in her show.

The name by which we all know Ankita is not her real name. The actress' real name is actually Tanuja and Ankita is just her pet name that her family lovingly addresses her by. However, she chose to continue with the same name as she made her debut in the showbusiness.

It's no secret that Sushant Singh Rajput and Ankita Lokhande were in a long standing relationship for almost 6 years, before calling it quits in 2016. Not many know that Ankita was at loggerheads with Sushant, when they initially started shooting 'Pavitra Rishta'. However, their equation changed over time and the two went on to become one of the most loved couples in the industry.

Ankita, who had been on a hiatus for a while, will make her big screen debut as Jhalkaribai in the Kangana Ranaut starrer 'Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi'. Ankita kept an arm's distance from the industry post her break-up with Sushant Singh Rajput. But now she is making sure to make her mark with this debut project.

While many may assume their favourite 'Marathi mulgi' hails from 'amchi Mumbai', in reality, Ankita hails from Indore. She shifted to Mumbai to pursue her acting dreams. The talented actress is also a badminton champion and a good dancer.