Who is Raqesh Bapat? Actor Confirms Break-Up With Shamita Shetty On Instagram

Shamita Shetty and Raqesh Bapat, who got together on the reality show Bigg Boss OTT, announced their break-up on their respective Instagram stories on Tuesday. Bapat, in her Instagram story, wrote: "I would like to share with you all that Shamita and I are no longer together. Destiny made our paths meet in the most unusual circumstances. Thank you so much to the Shara family for all the love and support. Being a private person, I did not want to publicly announce parting ways. However, I feel we owe it to our fans to put this out. I am mindful that this will break your hearts but you can continue to shower your love on us as individuals too. Looking forward to all your support."

Bapat then shared a still from their upcoming music video together that the duo have dedicated to their fandom.

Who is Raqesh Bapat?

Bapat is an Indian actor and model, popularly known for his work in films like Tum Bin (2001), Koi Mere Dil Mein Hai (2005), Jai Santoshi Maa (2006), Vrundavan (2016) and Savita Damodar Paranjape (2018).

Bapat was born on September 1, 1978, in Amravati, Maharashtra. The actor was previously married to actor Ridhi Dogra in 2011 and also participated with her in Nach Baliye 6, a dance reality television series that saw celebrity couples compete against each other. The couple divorced in 2019.

Bapat is also known for roles in television shows like Maryada: Lekin Kab Tak?, Simplly Sapney, Qubool Hai, Yeh Hai Aashiqui among others.

Shetty and Bapat started dating in Bigg Boss OTT house, where they were participants. Later, Raqesh appeared as a wildcard entrant on Bigg Boss 15, where Shamita was one of the finalists. However, he had to quit the show due to health issues.

Shamita and Raqesh's love story

Shetty and Bapaat started dating after meeting on Bigg Boss OTT and confirmed their relationship when the show ended a few months later. Shetty even travelled to Pune in March to meet his family, which fueled rumours that they were getting married shortly. However, soon after, stories about their break-up started to circulate.

A few months back, Shetty discussed the stress of being in a relationship that is constantly in the public eye. "We have developed a sizable fan base, and they like seeing us together. However, it is difficult. It puts a lot of strain on a couple because you feel like you have to defend yourself all the time", she told in an interview.

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