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'Relationship hit dead-end': Harsh Chhaya recalls divorce from Shefali Shah
18 May 2026

Actor Harsh Chhaya recently opened up about his divorce from actor Shefali Shah in a recent interview with Lallantop.

The couple, who worked together on Zee TV's Hasratein, got married in 1994 and separated in 2000.

While both have spoken about their separation being a difficult time, Chhaya shared how he dealt with it by going on several rebound dates.

'Our relationship was hitting a dead end'
Divorce insights

Chhaya shared his thoughts on divorce, which he believes is often seen as taboo.

He said, "It is a very personal case-to-case kind of thing; our case was very clear. I could see that the relationship was hitting a dead end."

"When I was told, 'I cannot stay with you anymore;' 8-9 months before that, I knew this was coming. I was prepared."

"When a situation like this comes...don't try to show yourself as strong."

'I went on multiple dates'
Coping strategy

Chhaya further said, "I lived with it for five-six months, regretted, shouted, etc. You are under stress...everyone around you is willing to listen to your story and share their views."

"Once I spoke to someone, we discussed each other's issues, and later we went on a date...and I made it a formula."

"I went on multiple dates over two-three months. It takes time, you don't have to show your bravery, rather show what you are feeling."

'For me, divorce is not a big deal'
Divorce perspective

Chhaya also shared his views on the negative connotation attached to divorce.

He said, "Two people can't stay together 24/7; I cannot live with my clone for 365 days."

"For me, divorce is not a big deal; in fact, if it has to happen, it should happen sooner rather than later so the relationship is not dragged."

"When we decided, we got our application backdated, declaring that we had been living separately for six months. We acted on it quickly."

Looking at their personal lives and work front
Life after separation

After their divorce, Chhaya married Suneeta Sengupta in 2003.

Meanwhile, Shah tied the knot with director Vipul Shah in 2000. They have been together for 25 years and share two sons, Aryaman and Maurya.

On the work front, Chhaya was recently seen in the web series Undekhi Season 4.