Actor Arzoo Govitrikar has filed for divorce from her husband Siddharth Sabharwal and opened up about how she became a victim of domestic violence. Arzoo, who played the role of Priya Malhotra in the 2003 film ‘Baghban’ told ET Times, “Siddharth first raised his hand on me two years after our marriage. And after our son was born three years after we became man and wife, he simply drifted apart. He started sleeping in another room. After that, I found out that he has a Russian girlfriend; he was constantly on chats with her. I confronted him about her. I don’t know if they’re together now because he stays separately. Mind you, I have those chats and the CCTV footage of his violence and it would help me to get justice.”
She further added, “Mujhe bahut gandi gaaliyan deta tha. Imagine, he even hurled casteist abuses at me. He also told me that I am a bai. I suffered blackouts and my hands and legs used to swell up. I stopped getting sleep and if I managed to sleep then I would suddenly wake up at 2 am.”
Arzoo confirmed filing for a divorce as she said, “Yes, I have filed for divorce. Enough is enough and I am not going to take this lying down anymore. I swallowed my pride; I tried, and I tried my best. But matters came to a head and I couldn’t continue with Siddharth. I had so far not spoken in the media, not even when I was hounded by calls from journalists two years ago. But I will talk today. I want to tell you that he has pulled me by my neck and tried to throw me out of the flat. He has slapped me. He has kicked me in my stomach. There were days when I was beaten up black and blue and I couldn’t come out because I didn’t want my bruises to be seen.”
The couple also has a son together. Though they both have separated, she doesn’t want her child to suffer. Arzoo said, “He loves our child, and as we speak, he has him in his house. I have never deprived our child from meeting his father and spending time with him. No woman wants to break her marriage. That’s the last thing she does only when she has been pushed against the wall and has no choice. The gaalis, violence and infidelity had become unbearable.”
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Arzoo Govitrikar is model-actress Aditi Govitrikar’s sister. She has worked in films like Baghban, Tulsi, Manmadhan, Mere Baap Pehle Aap among others. She also featured in popular TV shows such as Ek Ladki Anjani Si, Ghar Ek Sapna, CID and Naagin 2.