Remember Ankita Mehra, the girl from the Roadies Rising auditions? Early this year, she made the headlines for confessing her sexuality on national television. Post the telecast of the show there were lots of rumours like ‘the audition was scripted’, ‘the girl did it for publicity’ and the most popular rumour was ‘Ankita Mehra went missing/kidnapped post the telecast of the show’. To be very honest, I was impressed and I really wanted to know her side of the story and to know the truth I spoke to her on one fine evening.
The Audition: Neither Scripted Nor Planned
Viacom18 have been supporting the LGBTQ community since the very beginning. Bigg Boss has had at least one member from the community in almost every season, while MTV India showcased many episodes in its various shows in support of the community.
Early this year, the audience witnessed a 20-year-old girl confessing her sexuality on the Roadies Rising auditions that left people shocked. For this brave act, she got support from all four gang leaders. They praised and encouraged her and wished her a bright future.
Dismissing the rumours she said, “Neither was the show scripted nor had I planned it that way. It was the roughest phase of my life and I was going through depression. There was no plan to come out, I just wanted to present myself the way I am. ‘The real me’. So, it was a life-changing moment when I accepted the fact in front of the whole world. Actually it was not coming out to the world; in fact, it was coming out to myself.”
She informed that no one forced or asked her to do so. She just decided not to hide it anymore and this decision changed her life. About the kidnapping and missing rumour, she just laughed. She had no idea where people got this news from, but she mentioned that it was not true at all. She was busy looking for jobs during the time.
The Depression: Commitment-phobic Girlfriends
As a teenager, her life was going through a rough phase. She was unable to recover from a heartbreak. She hoped for an ordinary love story where she could confess her love towards her girlfriend in front of society and the world, but it could not happen.
Despite being committed, her girlfriend was not ready to accept their relationship in front of their respective families. Ankita was deeply in love with her and she tried hard to convince her, her girlfriend couldn’t see sense in that. They broke up soon after. This was not the first time that Ankita had loved and lost but it broke her completely. She went into depression and her loneliness made the situation even worse.
A 10-Page Letter To Her Father: The Emotional Breakdown
Commitment-phobic and closet girlfriends broke Ankita completely and as a result, she went into depression. In the toughest phase of her life, she was alone and also tried hard but failed to express her feelings to her family members, especially her parents. This unfortunate situation was making her condition even worse, but instead of giving up she gathered courage and decided to come out to her father through a letter.
After reading the letter, he called Ankita. The two of them got emotional and cried their hearts out. Surprisingly, her father turned out to be her Super-Hero and his one line eased her all troubles. “You are my daughter, my little angel. I have loved you; I love you and will love forever no matter what. Your sexual preference can’t change my love towards you and I regret that being a responsible father I was not there for you in your tough time,” he said.
Happy Days Are Here Again
Today Ankita has a wonderful relationship with her girlfriend; she shares a very strong bond with her father and is receiving tremendous support from her mother. Her girlfriend’s parents are also on board with this unique relationship and they are planning to get married in the near future. Currently, both are focusing on their respective careers and enjoying this wonderful relationship. After this experience, Ankita shares a special message for the members of the LGBTQ community.
“All of you, every single one of you, you’re a star in your own right. Many of you have embraced your true self and been vocal about it to the world. Bless you! And to the ones who might still be lurking in the shadows regarding this, be strong. Don’t compromise on the authenticity of your being. One day, this strength will take you forward and you’ll do what’s the best for yourself, your life and people around you. Peace and love” expressed Ankita.