Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; January 16, 2018)

After eight years of playing the ideal bahu in a long-running soap, Hina Khan admits that on Bigg Boss 11, she showed a side of hers that her fans were not really aware of. While many people feel that Hina lost out to Shilpa because of her high-handedness and arrogance, the actress clears the air in an interview with BT. Excerpts...

You came close to winning two major reality shows — Khatron Ke Khiladi (runner-up) and now, Bigg Boss. Are you disappointed?
I am overwhelmed because I got to meet my parents, Rocky (boyfriend) and my loved ones after a long time. It was a roller-coaster ride for me; this is not an easy show to do and it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. It is emotionally draining and because I am strong, I could survive for so long on the show. When I decided to participate in both the shows, I thought I would last perhaps for four-five episodes. I have emerged a strong person, survived the odds and though I did not win either of the shows, I learnt many things.

What did you learn, Hina?
In real life, after a fallout, we tend to stop talking to our friends, but in the Bigg Boss house, even after an ugly fight, we would patch up the next day. Why can’t we do that with our real friends? Life is too short to make enemies.

What do you think did not work in your favour, after coming so close to winning the trophy?
I realise that nobody is bigger than the show. If people like someone in Bigg Boss, they will remain loyal to him or her. And I think any or every contestant who plans to be a part of the show should accept that. Today they voted for Shilpa, next year the same audience will vote for someone else. But in this whole process, I never felt that my fans don’t love me. I realised that maybe people did not like the way I played the game as much as they liked the way the other person played it. But that’s okay. There are no hard feelings; I played with my heart and I did not understand the planning and scheming. I decided to voice my opinion whenever I felt something was wrong.

Before entering the show, you specifically said that if you fight and become abusive on the show, people should not judge you. Do you still stand by that? A lot of people feel that you lost because of your arrogance…
It’s true that I asked people to not judge me. Even during the show, I pleaded with folded hands to my fans and audiences to refrain from judging me just because I played a character on a show for eight years. I want to tell people that I am not Akshara; I am a human being and I can make mistakes. People have a certain image of me due to the role I played. Most of the lead characters on Indian television are flawless. But as human beings, we are not perfect. So, if I was perceived as someone with many flaws, it’s okay. I am not your flawless bahu in real life. I keep remembering the line, ‘Imperfection is the new perfection’. We all learn from our mistakes. Maybe I did a few things wrong, but that’s okay… we move on.

On a show like Bigg Boss, it’s important to play it right. Weren’t you apprehensive that your issues with fellow inmates would affect your votes?
I was playing myself on the show. The audiences were watching only a 45-minute episode, but we were living with each other 24 hours every day. There were so many things that transpired, which people are not aware of.

Your comment on the ‘bulging figures of South Indian actresses’ did not go down well with many actresses in the South...
I was talking of my experience. I was offered two films by two very big production houses, which I refused since they asked me to put on weight and flaunt a bulging figure. I was not commenting on anything else. I was in the house, so I don’t know if it was not portrayed well or taken in the wrong context.

You finally opened up about your relationship with Rocky Jaiswal on the show. Are you planning to get married?
Yes. That’s why I am emotional and happy to meet Rocky after so many months. We are in love and I am glad that I have him in my life. We are not thinking of marriage right now, there is a long time for that. We just want to be with each other and enjoy this phase in our lives. I would say, ‘Let us just be happy in our own la la land.’