Avika Gor’s fan told her he was ashamed to watch Balika Vadhu with family, here’s why

Actor Avika Gor, who essayed the role of Anandi in the 2008 popular television serial Balika Vadhu, has recalled the reaction of a fan, who told her that he was ashamed to watch Balika Vadhu with his family. He apologised to her, adding that his family practises child marriages too.

Balika Vadhu, which aired from 2008 to 2016, was based in rural Rajasthan and revolved around the life of a child bride, chronicling her journey from childhood to adulthood.

Speaking to Indian Express on television shows’ impact on audiences, Avika Gor said, “I remember I was in Delhi in 2010, and a man, in his sixties came up to me and said, ‘Baccha humein maaf karna par hum aapka show apne parivar ke saath nahi dekh sakte. Humein sharam aati hai (Please forgive us, we cannot watch your show with our family as we feel ashamed)’. When I asked him why he said that… because his family practises the same thing. However, he promised me that it won’t happen again.”

She also added, “I was so shaken that I didn’t know how to react but his statement made me so proud. TV serials have the sole responsibility to entertain but with that, if we manage to change one life, one family, it’s just such an achievement. I also remember a journalist who told me that an eight-year-old girl in Kolkata stood in her mandap refusing to get married, saying ‘Anandi ne mana kiya hai’ (Anandi has forbidden child marriages). There is a reason the show is coming back as this evil practice is still prevalent in society and we need to make people see the ills of it.”

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In the serial, Avika Gor played Anandi who gets married to Jagdish in their childhood. Colors TV has announced a reboot of the series with a new cast.