Harsh Chhaya Says He Went On 'Multiple Dates' After Divorce From Shefali Shah: 'Two People Can't Stay Together 24/7'

Actor Harsh Chhaya recently opened up once again about his divorce from actress Shefali Shah and how he dealt with the separation emotionally. 

During a conversation with Lallantop, the actor spoke about relationships, divorce, and the phase following his split from Shefali, revealing that he went on several rebound dates after the marriage ended.

What's Happening

• Speaking about separation and how differently people deal with it, Harsh 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."
• The actor added that he chose to focus on himself and his work during that phase. 
• "For me, even though I know what is happening, at that moment I don't let it affect me mentally, so I focus on work, on myself, because I left Delhi and came to Mumbai for this. Personally, how one deals with it depends on them. I fortunately come from a space where I don't get shaken easily," he said.
• Harsh further spoke about processing emotions instead of pretending to be strong after a breakup. 
• He shared, "You need to try and stay sane when a situation like this comes; if you are uncomfortable, live with it, don't try to show yourself as strong. I lived with it for 5-6 months, regretted, shouted, etc."
• The actor also revealed that during that period, he began going on dates after opening up to people around him. 
• "One day, I saw that 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; it happened a few times and I made it a formula. I went on multiple dates over 2-3 months. It takes time, you don't have to show your bravery, rather show what you are feeling," he said.

'Two People Can't Stay Together 24/7'

During the interview, Harsh also addressed the social stigma often attached to divorce and said he believes people should not unnecessarily continue unhappy marriages. 

"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," he shared.

Recalling how quickly they decided to separate, he added, "When we decided, we got our application back-dated, declaring that we had been living separately for six months. We acted on it quickly."

Background

Harsh Chhaya and Shefali Shah got married in 1994 after working together in Zee TV's popular show Hasratein. They separated in 2000. After separating from Harsh Chhaya, Shefali Shah married filmmaker Vipul Shah in 2000. The couple has two sons, Aryaman and Maurya. Harsh Chhaya later married Suneeta Sengupta in 2003.

Earlier, too, Harsh had spoken about the emotional impact of the separation. During a 2024 interview with Siddharth Kannan, he had said, "The separation was pretty tough. It is an old story now. 20-25 years have gone by. For me, it is a closed chapter."

In another earlier interview with Hindustan Times, the actor had said, "It hurt. The separation didn't take me by surprise. I had seen it coming for almost eight months, and I still look back at it very pragmatically. Two people met, fell in love, got married, and parted ways."

Shefali Shah had also spoken about her failed marriage in a 2022 interview with Pinkvilla. Reflecting on that period, she had said, "I have given a long, long chunk of life to that relationship. I worked very hard, and I used to believe that marriages are happily ever after until you realise, okay, it's a notion."

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