Ankita Lokhande (born Tanuja Lokhande) is an Indian actress born on 19 December 1984 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, to a Marathi family. A former badminton champion, she moved to Mumbai in 2005 to pursue acting and made her television debut in the romantic drama Pavitra Rishta (2009-2014) as Archana Manav Deshmukh - a role that made her a household name. The show also starred late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, with whom she was in a long-term relationship until 2016. She made her Bollywood debut in Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi (2019) as Jhalkari Bai and appeared in Baaghi 3 (2020) and Swatantrya Veer Savarkar (2024). She participated in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Season 4, and returned to television with reality shows Smart Jodi and Laughter Chefs. In October 2023, she entered Bigg Boss Season 17 with her businessman husband Vicky Jain, making them one of the season's most discussed couples. She served as House Captain for multiple weeks and became Munawar Faruqui's closest ally in the house. She finished as the Fourth Runner-Up (evicted in the finale's elimination rounds).

Breakthrough role as Archana Manav Deshmukh in Star Plus serial Pavitra Rishta (2009-2014); films Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi (2019) and Baaghi 3 (2020); recipient of 3 Gold Awards and 2 Indian Telly Awards.

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