Urvashi Dholakia has appeared in some of the most popular Hindi serials of all time. (Express Archive)The television industry is an unforgiving place, even more so for young women. Several actors have spoken in the past about harsh working conditions, long hours, and irregular pay. Those who’ve succeeded have experienced many such hurdles, but have overcome them. However, some stars had their personal battles to deal with as well. Among them is Urvashi Dholakia, who began acting when she was just six, and was ready to quit it all after falling in love and getting married at the age of 16. Urvashi has spoken about her divorce several times in the past, revealing that by the age of 18, she was a single mother to two sons. She gave herself a month to regroup, and decided that she must bounce back.In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Urvashi said that she always wanted a ‘fairytale’ life for herself, and that she felt like a ‘princess’ when she fell in love with the person she married. They dated for over a year, and Urvashi was ready to quit her career and raise a family. She said, “I was madly in love. Also, at that time, as a woman, the constitution of marriage was instilled in you. My mother came from a conservative mindset and she was clear, ‘Be independent, but you should get married.’ Society was like that at that time. I was 16 and was not mature enough. I was like, ‘I don’t want to work now, I want a Cinderella life now.’ But then, the bubble burst, though I didn’t let it get to me. I was married at 16, had twins at 17 and got divorced at 18.”Also read – Dilip Kumar’s favourite co-star died alone, her body wasn’t discovered until 3 days after her death; had been a recluse for a decade Urvashi Dholakia in Kabhi Sautan Kabhi Saheli. (Express Archive)Asked what led to the divorce, Urvashi shared, “He didn’t want the responsibility and fell out of love, but why would I have abandoned the two kids? If I had to do that, I would have not given birth to them.” Urvashi said that she gave herself a month of solitude to regroup, and then got back to work. Her sons were mostly raised by her mother. “Nobody supports you in your time of need more than your parents,” she said, adding that she returned to work when she was 19, as she didn’t want to be a ‘burden’ on her parents.Her sons, Kshitij Dholakia and Sagar Dholakia, have never met their father. “They also don’t want to know about him. We have tried to make them know about him, but they have always said, ‘We don’t want to know’,” Urvashi said. She also mentioned in an interview with The Times of India that her sons would encourage her to find love again, but she never quiet found the time for it. “Obviously, along the way, people feel attractions, but I was too focused. I would friend-zone a lot of people. Whenever I got the sense that they had ulterior motives, I would put a stop to it right there. I was very clear,” she said, adding that she hasn’t had a ‘stable relationship’ since then.Read more – Bollywood icon got ‘married’ at 13 to man three decades her senior, watched her infant daughter die, converted to Islam after seeing dreamsUrvashi became vulnerable, as she reflected on the relationships in her life. “The truth is, nobody has loved me. They have loved me in bits and pieces, but what they didn’t understand was that they were also loved in bits and pieces. Nobody can love you wholly. I believe only parents can love you wholly.”Story continues below this ad Sangeeta Ghosh and actress Urvashi Dholakia in TV serial Mehndi Tere Naam Ki. (Express Archive)She did, however, date actor Anuj Sachdeva, but they were on different paths at the time. “Anuj and I met at a time when again I went into a very vulnerable state. I was at the brink of losing my father. We met at that time. When I look back on that relationship, I think the timing was off. I was in a very weird place. We’d barely confessed our feelings to each other, and my father went into a coma, and within three months, he passed away. I didn’t know how to take it forward. I don’t blame him,” she said.Urvashi became a household name after playing the villainous Komolika in the landmark series Kasautii Zindagii Kay. She has also appeared in shows such as Dekh Bhai Dekh, Ghar Ek Mandir, Kabhii Sautan Kabhi Saheli, Mehendi Tere Naam Ki, and Kahin Toh Hoga, among others. Urvashi also won the sixth season of the TV reality show Bigg Boss.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:bollywoodurvashi dholakia