Pratyusha Banerjee

Pratyusha Banerjee (10 August 1991 — 1 April 2016) was an Indian television actress. She had appeared in numerous television and reality shows. Banerjee first gained recognition in 2010 with Balika Vadhu. This was her first leading role in the television series where she earned her household name "Anandi". She had participated in the reality show Bigg Boss 7 (2013).

She started her career with a supporting role in the show Rakt Sambandh which was followed by playing the role of Vaani (best friend of Akshara played by Hina Khan) in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai on Star Plus.^{[citation needed]}

She was selected for the lead role in 2010 Indian television series Balika Vadhu as an adult version of Anandi, replacing Avika Gor. According to the actress, she was chosen via a talent hunt, surpassing the contestants Nivedita Tiwari from Lucknow and Ketaki Chitale from Mumbai. Following the success of the show Banerjee participated in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (season 5). However, she left the dance show, stating that she was not comfortable during the dance rehearsals.

In 2013, she was one of the most competitive contestants in the seventh season of the show Bigg Boss. She appeared in Power Couple, along with her partner Rahul Raj Singh. Banerjee had played vital roles in Hum Hain Na, Sasural Simar Ka and Gulmohar Grand.

Her most notable work was in the serial Balika Vadhu and she was popularly known as Anandi.

Pratyusha was born in a Bengali family in Jamshedpur city of Jharkhand to Shankar and Soma Banerjee. Her father is a known social worker and runs their own NGO. In 2010, she left Jamshedpur to work in Mumbai.

On 1 April 2016, Banerjee was found dead by hanging in her Mumbai apartment at the age of 24. According to the postmortem report the cause of death was asphyxia.

However her parents allege she was murdered by her boyfriend, actor-producer Rahul Raj Singh, and passed off as suicide. They have pressed charges against him. In 2018, Rahul Raj Singh filed an application before the Dindoshi sessions court in Mumbai, requesting to be discharged from the case. Passing the blame on the late TV actress' parents, Rahul in the application says that her parents had taken heavy loans in her name and the actress being unable to pay her debts was frustrated and hence took the huge step. In September 2026, the Bombay High Court discharged Singh from the case, holding that the evidence was insufficient to proceed with a trial for abetment of suicide. Singh had denied the allegations against him.