Actor Sudhanshu Pandey, who plays Vanraj Shah in ‘Anupamaa’, shocked fans by announcing that he is quitting the show. The actor went live on Instagram to inform fans about his decision. In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Sudhanshu shared that he never imagined that his departure would create so much uproar.

Reflecting on the response, he said, “I felt it was my responsibility to inform my viewers about my decision. I was very calm and straightforward, just sharing my thoughts. Since then, I have received a lot of messages from people asking why I quit the show and urging me to reconsider my decision. Fans are even willing to fast for me to come back.” I always knew this show was popularBut this kind of love is just amazing. It’s surreal to see that people are so emotionally attached to the character and the show.”

Sudhanshu said that it was not a difficult decision for him as he has full faith in God’s ways. He said that he believes in accepting the signs and not thinking too much about life as nothing is in our control.

However, later His decision to leave television’s most watched daily, There has been a lot of speculation about what was the reason behind his exit. Talking about this, the actor said, “When we see a member of our family a bit upset, we start making scenarios in our mind. It’s human nature; we start speculating about everything. All the news that is circulating is just a figment of imagination. They are just rumours and one should not take them seriously or let oneself get influenced by them.”

There were also reports that he has unfollowed some people. Co-star Rupali Ganguly and producer Rajan ShahiThis led to rumours that all is not well between them. Laughing off the speculations, Sudhanshu said, “Instead of asking me, people should check my Instagram page. I have not unfollowed anyone. In fact, Rupali has shared something with me on WhatsApp. Why would I do something like that? It’s not like we are teenagers who have broken up. We are mature professionals. I don’t know if it has happened from the other side or not, but I find it very childish. It doesn’t reflect our personalities well.”

As readers would know, the actor recently reunited with A Band of Boys, and the group has released a new single. However, he denied that he quit the show to focus on the band. Describing himself as an ‘actor-singer’ rather than an ‘actor-singer’, he said, “I played the role of Vanraj for four years, and as an actor, I still have a lot to give. As for the band, it was like a homecoming for me. We have been going strong for many years and were a sensation across the country at that time. Now that I am back, we have decided to make more music and entertain our fans. Music is beautiful and very healing. What we are doing is purely out of passion, and we want to return to our fans with more vigour.”

After his exit from ‘Anupamaa’, Sudhanshu shared that he is open to working on television and other mediums, provided it helps him grow. “I am now open to any kind of opportunity if it takes me forward. Be it the character or the setup, I need to grow as an actor. Vanraj Shah has definitely set very high standards. I have put in my blood and sweat for this project, and I want to play a character as challenging and amazing as his. I want to bring another iconic character to life,” he concluded.