Nitish Bharadwaj, who is best known for playing Lord Krishna in the popular TV series Mahabharat, has filed a complaint against his estranged wife Smita Gate, an IAS officer, for mental harassment and unruly conduct. The actor has alleged that Smita has been creating problems in his personal and professional life, and has been threatening him with false cases.

Nitish Bharadwaj Troubled marriage and divorce

Nitish Bharadwaj and Smita Gate got married in 2009, after the actor divorced his first wife Monisha Patil, the daughter of former Femina editor Vimla Patil. Nitish and Smita have twin daughters, Devyani and Shivranjani, who live with their mother. The couple separated in 2019, and Nitish announced their divorce in January 2024, after 12 years of marriage.

According to Nitish Bharadwaj, Smita was not happy with his career choices and wanted him to quit acting and join politics. He claimed that she was also insecure about his popularity and fame, and tried to control his social media accounts. He said that she would often abuse him verbally and physically, and accuse him of having affairs with his co-stars and female fans.

Complaint and allegations

Nitish Bharadwaj filed a complaint against Smita Gate at the Bhopal Mahila Thana on February 14, 2024, under sections 354, 323, 294, 506, 509 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. He alleged that Smita had been harassing him and his family members, and had been interfering in his work projects. He also accused her of sending him obscene messages and videos, and of trying to defame him in the media and the public.

He said that Smita had been pressuring him to give her a huge amount of money as alimony, and had threatened to file false cases of domestic violence, dowry and rape against him and his relatives. He also said that she had been stalking him and his friends, and had tried to sabotage his recent theatre show Chakravyuh, in which he reprises his role as Lord Krishna.

Smita’s response and counter-allegations

Smita Gate, who is currently posted as the additional commissioner of Bhopal Municipal Corporation, has denied the allegations made by Nitish Bharadwaj. She said that she was shocked and hurt by his complaint, and that he was trying to malign her image and reputation. She said that she had been a supportive and loyal wife, and had never interfered in his work or personal life.

She also claimed that Nitish was the one who had been abusive and violent towards her, and had cheated on her with multiple women. She said that he had been neglecting his daughters and had not paid any maintenance or child support. She said that she had proof of his misdeeds, and that she would take legal action against him.

Nitish’s career and achievements

Nitish Bharadwaj is an actor, director, screenwriter, producer, politician and veterinarian. He rose to fame with his portrayal of Lord Krishna in B.R. Chopra’s Mahabharat, which aired from 1988 to 1990. He has also played Lord Vishnu and his avatars in other mythological shows, such as Vishnu Puran and Mahima Shani Dev Ki. He has acted in several Hindi, Marathi and Malayalam films, such as Trishagni, Njan Gandharvan, Sangeet, Khatyal Sasu Nathal Sun and Mohenjo Daro.

He made his debut as a writer-director with the Marathi film Pitruroon, which won several awards, including the Screen Award for Best Director and the Maharashtra State Film Award for Second Best Film. He also served as a Member of Parliament from Jamshedpur constituency from 1996 to 1998, as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is currently working on his second directorial venture, a Hindi film based on the life of Chanakya.