Anuj Sachdeva: All my achievements and work are overlooked when I am refered to as someone’s ex

Even under the best of circumstances, it’s not easy for an actor to carve his identity as an artiste. The task becomes tougher if his personal life overshadows his professional one, and he gets defined by his relationships. Actor Anuj Sachdeva, who has featured in shows like Sabki Laadli Bebo, Phir Subah Hogi, Swaragini, and Ek Bhram Sarvagun Sampanna, realised this after he started dating actress Urvashi Dholakia, who catapulted to fame as Komolika in the original season of Kasautii Zindagii Kay. He was often called her beau when they were together, and though they parted ways a few years ago, he continues to be referred to as ‘Urvashi’s ex’.

Anuj, who was last seen in the dance reality show, Nach Baliye 9, along with his former girlfriend, says, “It is unfortunate that people ignore years of hard work put in by a person to make a place for himself in the industry. All my achievements and work are overlooked when you refer to me as someone’s ex. I am disappointed with this mindset.”

Though Anuj and Urvashi had ended their three-year-long relationship, they decided to participate in the reality show in 2019. Looking back, does he think that featuring in Nach Baliye further cemented his tag as her ‘ex’? He replies, “That season of the show featured ex-couples and it was not meant to highlight just one person among the two. I was expecting it to showcase me as an individual who was trying his hand at dancing without any formal training. Unfortunately, that went unnoticed until I told the judges that it wasn’t fair.
Mujhe apna haq maangna pada aur woh mujhe mila, albeit eventually. However, I don’t regret being a part of the show. Financially, it helped me sail through the lockdown, though money wasn’t the main reason I took it up. Primarily, the show served as a platform for me to try something new. Urvashi and I also proved that exes can be cordial.”

The actor is all praise for Urvashi for maintaining a healthy equation even after the break-up. “People evolve with time and their goals and dreams, too, change. We decided mutually to end our relationship. I appreciate her for handling everything with grace and maturity. It’s because of our healthy equation that we continue to stay in touch and also participated in Nach Baliye. We had witnessed ugly fights between other exes, while our equation worked out really well. Today, she is my 3 am friend. Similarly, she knows that I will always be there for her. It’s not necessary to define every relationship, what matters is mutual respect and the equation you share with someone,” he explains.

So, what’s his current relationship status? “I am single and looking forward to being in a serious relationship. I don’t want frivolous, short-term relationships,” Anuj signs off.