Exclusive - Thapki Pyaar Ki fame Jigyasa Singh on discovering she had alopecia: I was down with thyroid and was going through mental stress

Jigyasa Singh rose to prominence with her portrayal of Thapki in Thapki Pyar Ki and later captivated audiences as Heer in Shakti: Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki. With her captivating screen presence and acting skills, she has amassed a strong following and gained widespread recognition. In an exclusive interview with ETimes TV, Jigyasa reflected on her journey in the entertainment industry, discussing her experience with the casting couch and navigating a challenging medical phase. She candidly shared one of the toughest moments of her life, revealing her battle with alopecia, hormonal imbalances, thyroid issues, and mental stress. (Photo: Instagram)

Once my friend asked me to accompany her for an audition. It was a Sunday, I remember and she told me to please come with me, initially I was very apprehensive but she convinced me to just accompany her. She told me you have to just come and sit and I will go and audition inside. She was somewhere scared as we all have heard stories about the showbiz industry. Then I agreed to go with her and I will not go into details now, but I was selected for the protagonist's role. (Photo: Instagram)

I didn’t even want to give the audition but I kind of agreed to do one monologue and there were a few famous television actors present as the show was for their production house. I did the show for eight months on a regional channel. I was part of a reality show, Cinestars ki Khoj, without having any formal training in acting. I was there till top 12 where I realised that if I got training in acting I could be an actor. My father used to say that doors are opening for you and why are they shutting them. But I always feared that my education would suffer and it actually became quite difficult to manage with acting. So, I took a halt. I finished my studies and then when I again started getting opportunities I thought let me just try my luck and I’m here. (Photo: Instagram)

There were several incidents where I was asked to compromise and logon ne Kaha aap paise de do hum aapko project de denge… There were people who told me we had invested crores to act in a daily soap and I used to just laugh, I’d just come from Jaipur that time to Mumbai. I was like mere paas Rs 1 crore hote toh main kuch Aur kar leti (laughs). Also, I believe nobody can force you to compromise in this industry. It depends from person to person. If you don’t want to do it, you can just ignore it and nobody can force it. All these incidents just made me stronger. (Photo: Instagram)

I don’t want to take names but when my first show was getting over, there was somebody on a very senior post, not an actor. He told me if I wanted to go to Mumbai and work then you have to compromise. Aise toh kaam nahi milega aapko. I was discouraged so back then that I started to feel that everyone who offers you work will ask for something in return. I was brainwashed completely. I told myself I won’t go to Mumbai, wahan jaake aisa sab hota hai. Darr baith Gaya. After this phase, there was a very popular show which was taking a leap and I got a fake call where they were asking me to do something if I wanted to get the lead role. But I dug into the matter and found out that it was a fake call. (Photo: Instagram)

I came to Mumbai in 2015 and I’ve been working nonstop ever since then. I have done shows like Thapki, Nazar, Dev, Shakti. The show Shakti ran for a longer period, and there was hardly any time gap between Shakti and Thapki. The channel decided to shift me to Shakti. There was a gap of just one or two days I remember. I was shooting the next day for the shoot. I was a part of Thapki and the next day Shakti promos were on-air and it happens very rarely with actors. I feel blessed it happened to me. (Photo: Instagram)

I also didn’t know that I was facing health issues because there was a driving force within me to work. I was earning money, life was so good and my family was here and I was playing the lead. Sab kuch bahut Accha hai. I was at the peak of my career and this happened to me. It was a really bad and tough phase for me. I had to quit the show. Maine bahut last tak koshish ki that I don’t have to quit the show, but nothing worked. I tried to reduce my working hours. (Photo: Instagram)

In 2022 to be more precise. I was shooting and suddenly I noticed a very big patch of alopecia on my head and I dug in to find out what was happening to me. After diagnosing I learnt I was down with thyroid, there were hormonal imbalances and it was affecting me directly mentally. More than physical change I started to witness it was affecting me mentally. I was not able to concentrate, or sleep well and there were changes in my body. That’s when I decided I had to take some time off. (Photo: Instagram)

When you are the lead face you don’t even have the time to conduct a blood test. There’s so much responsibility and pressure. There are deadlines which you have to meet. 40-50 people on the sets are waiting for you and are working daily. You are responsible for the show. I decided to take a call that I have to take a break for myself to treat this. I battled many things. I realised I was not eating much but I was gaining weight. It was very discouraging for me. I used to look at myself in the mirror Aur sochti thi ye kya horaha hai mere saath. Finally, I took a look that first I have to get well, look after my health and then get back to work. (Photo: Instagram)

Leaving the show was incredibly difficult for me, as there were multiple factors involved. Financially, I was the highest-paid actress on the show, and walking away from that wasn’t easy. Thapki Pyaar Ki was like my baby, and even today I say it was tough to let go and imagine someone else stepping into my role. It felt like I was sacrificing a part of myself, but I had to make that decision for my own well-being. I knew I couldn’t continue with my health issues, as it wouldn’t be sustainable in the long run. (Photo: Instagram)

I cried a lot on my last day, it was very emotional. I had even tried to cut down my working hours to manage, but with the show running seven days a week, the deadlines were too tight. To top it off, my brother’s wedding was also happening at the same time, so there were too many things piling up at once. I had to quit, but I was actually planning to return. Then, the news came that the show was going off-air, and it broke my heart. Still, I believe that whenever something ends, it’s with the purpose of making way for something new to begin. (Photo: Instagram)