Pavitra Rishta fame Usha Nadkarni recalls harsh childhood; says 'father once attacked her with knife, mother threw her out out of home'

Veteran actress Usha Nadkarni, loved by millions for her strong acting in the hit TV show Pavitra Rishta with the late Sushant Singh Rajput and Ankita Lokhande, recently shared some heartbreaking memories from her early life in Mumbai. The 79-year-old actress, who has won hearts with her powerful on-screen presence, revealed the dark and painful side of her childhood while speaking on Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa’s podcast.

Usha Nadkarni said she grew up in a very strict household with a tough mother and a father whose violent temper made life very difficult for her and her siblings. Her father, who was an officer in the Indian Air Force, was extremely short-tempered, while her mother worked as a schoolteacher. Despite the discipline in their professions, their home was always filled with fear.

The actress recalled how her father would lose control over very small things. If a newspaper was not folded properly or textbooks were not stacked neatly, it would trigger his anger. In his rage, he would tear apart the books or physically punish the children. Her mother would try to reason with him, warning that he would only have to buy replacements, but her father rarely listened.

The actress said that her father often used any object in sight to beat them. On one frightening occasion, he attacked her brother so badly that he fainted. Another time, when she tried to protect him, her father struck her with a koita (a sharp, curved knife), leaving her arm injured. She revealed that she had a play the next day, however despite the wound she went to perform on stage the very next day.

She explained that she and her siblings lived in constant terror in the house. Whenever one child was being punished, the others would hide. However, after such violent outbursts, her father sometimes tried to make up for it by buying them ice cream, as if his guilt softened him for a short while.

Nadkarni also shared that her wish to become an actress was also met with resistance. Her parents strongly opposed her ambition. In fact, when she first expressed her desire, her mother threw her clothes out of the house and told her to leave. Usha had to stay at a friend’s place until her father brought her back home a week later. But the atmosphere remained tense, and she was so afraid of her father that she would hide from him even if friends came to ask her out for something as simple as a picnic.

Today, at the age of 79, Usha Nadkarni lives alone in Mumbai. She recently lost her brother, who had always been her biggest support system. Despite the painful memories of her childhood, Usha has carved out a successful acting career and is admired for her resilience and courage. Her journey is proof that even in the face of the toughest challenges, determination and passion can lead to success.