MUMBAI: Ankita Lokhande on Saturday expressed gratitude to her Instagram family, which has reached a count of three million.

"#2021 I welcome you with my open heart happy new year every one. Cheers to 3M followers. thanku for all the love #ankitalokhande #newyear2021 #3million #congratulations," the actress shared on her verified Instagram account.

Fans posted congratulatory messages in the comments box, though a section of netizens trolled the actress saying all her publicity was due to her ex-boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput, the Bollywood actor who passed away in June, last year.

"Half of your followers are fans of Sushant," commented a user.

"This has happened due to Sushant," suggested another user.

"2 million from Sushant's fans please don't forget that," shared another user.

Ankita had dated Sushant Singh Rajput for a few years, after meeting him on the sets of the hit TV serial, Pavitra Rishta.