Kumar Sanu’s ex-wife Rita Bhattacharya alleges abuse: 'He starved me during pregnancy and flaunted his affair'

Dubai: He may be the King of Melody on stage, but off it, Bollywood playback singer Kumar Sanu is facing some seriously off-key accusations. His ex-wife Rita Bhattacharya has unleashed a no-holds-barred account of their “marriage from hell,” claiming the singer starved her during pregnancy, flaunted an affair in plain sight, and then had the gall to drag her to court for cruelty.

In a recent interview with Film Window, Rita claims their relationship soured after the massive success of Aashiqui. “Once the money started coming in, he changed. He became rude—something he never was before.”

According to her, Sanu distanced himself from her and their children, especially during important family occasions.

“When our elder son Jiko was getting married, I requested him to make a statement to stop rumors about his personal life. Instead, he blocked me and Jaan. That was deeply insulting.”

Rita alleges that despite his rising success, her own life grew more restrictive. “I never went out. I wasn’t even allowed to visit a parlour or get basic grooming done,” she said.

The breaking point came during her pregnancy with Jaan. “I lost my father then, and the torture had crossed all limits. Yet he filed for divorce on the grounds of cruelty. What could I have done—while raising two children, pregnant with a third, and he was becoming a legend? And still, he accused me of cruelty,” she asked.

Rita also alleged mistreatment by Sanu’s family during this period. “When I was pregnant, I was not fed properly. I often felt sick. Once, they locked the kitchen. I had to send the watchman to buy one kilo of rice to cook for myself. They even stopped bringing milk for my children and told the pediatrician they wouldn’t pay him. How can such people be called human?”

She claims Sanu not only dragged her to court while she was expecting but was also having an affair. “He hosted a grand party saying I was behind his success, and then took me to court. During that same pregnancy, he was cheating. I was very young, and it shattered my world.”

Sanu eventually separated from Rita in 1994 after his relationship with actor Kunickaa Sadanand became public. Rita was granted custody of their three children—Jiko, Jassi, and Jaan.

Kunickaa, in past interviews, confirmed their live-in relationship, saying she considered Sanu her husband during his troubled marriage.

“His wife would scream outside my house and once even smashed my car with a hockey stick. But I understood her—she wanted security for her children.” Kunickaa added that she left him after discovering he was cheating on her as well.

Speaking to Film Window, Rita recalled their early days in Mumbai, claiming she was the one who encouraged and supported him in his career.
“He is a gifted singer, but as a person, it’s better not to talk much about him. He was never ambitious—it was my dream to make him a singer. I helped him become Kumar Sanu,” she said.

She described their struggle-filled beginnings: “We arrived in Mumbai with nothing. No money, no transport. He used to wear a lungi then. He lies when he says his family sent him here—I pushed him to go out and struggle. We even slept on the floor without a fan.”

Three decades later, Rita still wants closure. “Before I die, I want to hear from him why he did this. In court, he mocked me, surrounded by the same people who hurt me. I never got answers.”