The iconic crime-based show CID has a huge fanbase among the Indian audience. Its dynamic twists and plots have glued the audience to their seat over many years. The show telecasted its first episode in 1998, and since then, it has earned the title of a cult classic. The series aired for 20 years and is one of the longest-running television series in India.
On January 18, 2008, CID telecasted its 500th episode and closed the curtains on October 27, 2018, with its final 1,547th episode. The show had a stellar cast, including Shivaji Satam as 'ACP Pradyuman', Dayanand Shetty as 'Inspector Daya', and Aditya Srivastava as 'Inspector Abhijeet'. And now, after a long wait of six years, the show is coming back.
As the show is making its comeback, people are fanatically searching for every detail about the cast members. One of the most loved actors on the show was Dayanand Shetty, aka 'Inspector Daya'. But do you know that Daya was rumoured to be dating the show’s co-star, Mona Ambegaonkar? Read on to know details about the same.
Born into a Tulu-speaking Bunt family in Karnataka, Dayanand Shetty has always wanted to be a sportsperson. He was a shot put and discus thrower and had won many accolades for the same. However, Dayanand couldn’t continue with the sport after a leg injury, which accidently turned him into an actor.
Dayanand Shetty has acted in many commercials and won awards as a theatre artist. In 1998, the actor auditioned for the role of Daya in CID. Over the years, people have loved his charming personality and on-screen presence.
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Dayanand not only acted in the cult show, CID but also wrote a few episodes. He also sang a lullaby in the show and was praised for his singing talent. Not many people know this, but Daya made his Bollywood debut in 1996 with the film, Diljale. He was also seen in films like Johnny Gaddaar, Singham Returns, Singham Again, and many more.
Daya has also participated in shows like Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and Khatron Ke Khiladi and made special appearances in many television shows. Hailed for his amazing personality, he won the title of ‘Best Looking Guy’ by Indian Television in 2002.
Dayanand Shetty likes to keep his personal life away from media glares, so very little information about his wife is available on the internet. According to multiple reports, the actor is married to Smitha Shetty, and the couple has a daughter named Viva Shetty.
However, a few years back, gossip columns reported that Daya was romantically involved with his CID co-star, Mona Ambegaonkar. For the uninitiated, Mona is a renowned actress in Marathi films and has some amazing films to her credit. In CID, Mona played the role of forensic scientist, 'Dr. Anjalika Deshmukh'.
Rumours had it that Daya allegedly had an extramarital affair with Mona for some time. Daya did not acknowledge the rumours since he was already married and had a child. However, all hell broke when Mona delivered a baby girl in 2005 out of wedlock.
However, the identity of Mona’s child's father was not revealed. In a throwback interaction with the actress, Mona confirmed the news of delivering a baby girl but refused to name the father. In her words:
“Yeah, you can write about the fact that I have a baby girl. But I won't tell you the identity of the father until he admits it to the world.”
A source from the unit of CID also threw light on Mona and Dayanand’s secret relationship and confirmed that the two were dating. As per the source:
“Everyone believes that Dayanand is the father of Mona's child. She has confided to her close friends. But he surely can't confess, because he is married and even has a kid from his first wife.”
As the rumours got more mileage in the media, Dayanand decided to clarify the speculations. In an interview with a leading publication, the actor denied all such claims and said:
“I have heard people talking about Mona and myself, and people saying that I am the father of her child, but these are all rumours. I am married since the past six years and was never involved with Mona at any stage. We had hardly any scenes together."
Well, did you know about the speculation about Dayanand Shetty? Let us know.
Also Read: Salma Agha's Painful Story: '80s Iconic Actress, Four Relationships, Two Divorces, Still Lives Alone
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