Payal Rohatgi and Sangram Singh were regarded as a timeless love story for many years. After almost ten years of dating, they were married in a traditional ceremony in Agra in July 2022.
They first met in 2011 and became engaged in 2014.
But lately, the same relationship once celebrated for its endurance has found itself clouded by controversy, speculation, and public scrutiny.
The Viral Video Controversy
Rumours had been swirling for some time that not everything was smooth in their marriage. Those whispers became loud headlines when a video, allegedly shared by Payal herself, went viral.
In the clip, she accused Sangram of mistreating her for not being able to conceive. She went further, calling out his family’s traditional attitudes, saying women in his village were only expected to wear veils, cook, and bear children.
Challenging him directly, she asked: “Tumhare ghar mein aurato ke sath aise baat ki jaati hai. Tum log padhe-likhe nahi ho theek hai, par aise baat ki jaati hai (Is this how women are spoken to in your family? Fine, you’re uneducated, but is this how one talks)?”
When Sangram told her she was misbehaving, she shot back with sharper words: “Gaon mein sab ghunghat wali aurate hi padi hui hai tumhare, unka kaam kya hai ghunghat karna aur bacha paida karna aur khana banana (All the women in your village stay in veils, their only work is to bear children and cook).”
She also warned him not to taunt her about infertility, saying: “Aur mujhe taunt mat maarna ki tu bacha nahi paida kar sakti (Don’t taunt me about not being able to bear a child).”
The rawness of the video sparked heated discussions online about marriage, patriarchy, and the pressures women face in traditional families.
Payal’s Resignation From the Foundation
After a few months, on their third wedding anniversary, Payal announced her resignation from the Sangram Singh Charitable Foundation. Posting a photo of her resignation letter on Instagram, she wrote:
“I hereby tender my resignation from the position of Director of Sangram Singh Charitable Foundation with immediate effect due to personal reasons… Sometimes peace looks like distance.”
Her words left fans stunned and fuelled more speculation that her marriage was unraveling.
Sangram’s Calm Denial
As per NDTV, In response to the frenzy, Sangram spoke up. On their anniversary, he denied the rumours of separation, saying: “There is no talk of divorce between us. We have been together for 14 years and will always be. I keep all my focus on doing good work. I do not pay attention to these talks of divorce, and I will also request her to not believe in such rumours.”
He also addressed Payal’s resignation: “This is Payal ji's decision and I respect it. Both of us have different approaches towards work. In such a situation, whatever Payal ji must have thought, she must have done it for the better. I wouldn't stop her. She is free to take her own decisions. There is no one wrong here. Every person is different.”
His calm explanation, however, wasn’t enough to silence the chatter.
Rumours Take Their Toll
Speaking later to News18 Showsha, Sangram admitted that while he had grown used to gossip, Payal was not as resilient. “10–12 years ago, such news would affect me. Even a single negative comment would hurt me. But now, I’ve developed a thick skin. We lead public lives, so the idea is to not get affected by what people say. People love reading negative headlines. But Payal ji was affected. She overthinks a lot and then explodes.”
Their anniversary, which should have been a day of celebration, turned into one filled with phone calls from concerned family, friends, and media outlets.
Fresh Dating Speculations
If that wasn’t enough, new rumours are now emerging. Fans noticed Sangram’s increasing online interactions with actress Nikita — likes, affectionate comments, and emojis — which quickly sparked gossip about a budding romance.
An insider told IANS: “Both Nikita and Sangram have been very discreet about their relationship, but they are quite serious about each other. They wanted to keep it away from the limelight until they felt comfortable.”
Reports suggest that the two have been quietly seeing each other for about six months, fuelling talk of rising tensions between Payal and Nikita, though none of them have spoken publicly about it.
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