Exclusive – Ohanna Shivanand aka Shilpa Anand reveals why she quit Dill Mill Gayye; says she was “indirectly made to leave by the show’s producer Siddharth P Malhotra”

Ohanna Shivanand, previously known as Shilpa Anand is best remembered for playing Dr. Riddhima Gupta in the hit medical drama Dill Mil Gaye. The actress has for the first time opened up about her exit from the show years after fans demanded answers. Ohanna, who enjoyed a massive fan following for her on-screen chemistry with co-star Karan Singh Grover, was later replaced by Sukirti Kandpal and subsequently by Jennifer Winget in the role of Dr. Riddhima.Speaking candidly, the actress claimed she did not quit the show voluntarily. “I did not leave the show. I was indirectly made to quit,” Ohanna said.She recalled an incident during the shoot of the Zara Touch Me song. “It was 12 at night, way past pack-up time, when the executive producer asked me to hand over the keys of my makeup room because they wanted to shift me to another one. I told him I had my personal belongings in the room and I was in the middle of a shot. It was absolutely absurd to ask me to shift at that time.”According to Ohanna, the argument escalated. “I said, ‘If I’m going to be treated this way after working day and night, I might as well leave the show.’ And the executive producer replied, ‘Okay, leave then.'”She added that she reached out to producer Siddharth P Malhotra. “I called up Siddharth and told him what happened, but he didn’t care. He said, ‘You can leave the show, no big deal. Artists keep changing.’ He didn’t even bother to apologise.”The actress said self-respect was the reason behind her decision. “For me, self-respect is extremely important. I can’t be in an environment where I am not respected, especially when I am giving 100%.”However, Ohanna clarified that she bears no grudges. “Anyways, I have no hard feelings towards him. I barely know Siddharth P Malhotra. I wish him all the best in life.”Concluding, she said, “So I hope I have cleared the air, and now everyone knows the truth — a gist of the situation.”Dill Mill Gayye remains one of Indian television’s most loved medical dramas, and Ohanna’s exit as Dr. Riddhima continues to be a talking point among fans even years later.