Sudhanshu Pandey, who became a household name through his portrayal of Vanraj Shah, the antagonist in the popular TV show 'Anupamaa', has officially announced his departure from the series. 'Anupamaa', which has dominated TRP charts since its debut in 2020, also stars Rupali Ganguly and Gaurav Khanna. While there were rumours circulating that Rupali and Gaurav might be leaving the show, it has now been confirmed that it is Sudhanshu who has decided to step away.
Sudhanshu Pandey aka Vanraj announces his exit from Anupamaa
The actor shared the emotional news with his fans during an Instagram live session on Wednesday evening. In his heartfelt message, he said, “Mai pichle chaar saal se roj pahuch raha hun apke ghar ek daily soap ke jariye, ek kirdar play kar raha hu jiske liye mujhe bahut sara pyar or narazgi mili, but wo narazgi bhi ek tarike se pyar hi raha hai. Agar aap naraz na hote mere character dekh kar to mujhe lagta mai sahi tarike se nibha nahi pa raha hoon (I have been coming into your homes every day for the past four years through a daily soap, playing a character for which I received a lot of love and also some anger. But even that anger, in a way, was a form of love. If you weren't upset with my character, I would have felt that I wasn't portraying it correctly.)”
Raksha Bandhan episode was his last
Sudhanshu continued, “I want to tell all of you with a heavy heart that I am now not a part of Anupamaa show. Raksha Bandhan episode se mai show ka hissa nahi hoon, par itne din beet gaye the or meri audience mujhse naraz na ho ki ye bina bataye kaise chala gaya toh mujhe laga ye meri zimmedari hai ki mai ye baat bataun aap sab ko. Par hame jeevan me aage badhna hi padta hai to I want you all to keep loving me always in my future works.(From the Raksha Bandhan episode, I am no longer a part of the show. So many days have passed, and I didn’t want my audience to be upset, wondering how I left without informing them. I felt it was my responsibility to share this with all of you. But in life, we have to move forward.)”
Though the actor did not disclose the reason behind his exit, it's clear that his journey with Anupamaa has come to an end. Meanwhile, producer Rajan Shahi has reassured fans that Rupali Ganguly and Gaurav Khanna remain integral parts of the show.
Sudhanshu Pandey's music career
Outside of television, Sudhanshu Pandey has been exploring his passion for music. He recently released a single titled 'Behisaba' and announced the comeback of A Band Of Boys with their new song "Gori Again." It appears the actor is now focusing on his music career, which he had previously put on hold to dedicate himself to acting.