In a recent interview actress Anita Hassanandani talked about her life and the challenges she faced during her childhood. She revealed that she lost her father when she was 15 years old because of his struggle with alcohol addiction. During an appearance on Siddharth Kanan’s podcast she shared how she didn’t quite grasp her father’s addiction issues back then and often felt angry towards him. However now as a mother Anita reflects on those memories with more compassion and a greater insight into her father’s struggles.

The Naagin actress shared that she had to grow up fast after her father’s death taking care of herself and her mother since her older sister was already married. Anita also talked about how people were sceptical about how they would make ends meet but she managed to find a job at actor Manoj Kumar’s office that changed the course of her life.

Reflecting on her father, she shared, "I was always very angry with him for drinking. I didn’t know why… now I know it is an addiction, and he was also going through his struggles. I wish I had understood better than Anita shared her sadness about not being able to reconnect with her dad and how she now feels his absence even more, especially since becoming a mom. With tears in her eyes, she expressed her longing for her father to have met her son Aarav.

Hassanandani who gained fame for her performances in hit TV series such as Yeh Hai Mohabbatein and Kkavyanjali revealed that her journey into acting began with her role as a receptionist at Kunal’s office, the son of Manoj Kumar. In a podcast she expressed gratitude to the family for providing her with an opportunity that paved the way for her successful career. Today Anita is a well-known figure in Indian television married to entrepreneur Rohit Reddy and they have a son named Aarav together.