Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; October 30, 2018)

After being evicted from Bigg Boss 12 on Sunday, singer Anup Jalota, who had entered the house with Jasleen Matharu, denied that he was ever in a relationship with her. While the duo entered the reality show claiming to be in a relationship, in an exclusive interview with BT, the Padma Shri awardee said that she is “just his shishya”. He also revealed what happened behind the scenes, and stressed that he does not wish to remarry. Excerpts…

How was your experience with the show Bigg Boss?
It is not a musical show, we all know that. Of course, you will see people shouting and abusing each other, since, I did not do any of that and kept cool and calm, I guess that I was evicted early on. Other inmates in the house felt that I was image conscious, and why wouldn’t I be? I have an image in society and I have earned respect over the years for my work. Megha Dhade, Bigg Boss Marathi winner nominated me for eviction. I am not used to such drama and I can’t handle a Surbhi Rana who applies khoon in her maang. All that is way too dramatic for me. Probably, that was the reason I was voted out.

Your relationship with Jasleen Matharu came as a big shock to everyone. In an interview with BT before entering the house, you said your relationship with her was that of a ‘ guru-shishya’.Soon after,you entered the house as a couple in tune with the theme,‘ Vichitra Jodi’. Many people are also saying that the relationship was fake and it was just a means to enter the Bigg Boss house. What do you have to say about it?
Now, I will tell the whole story of what actually transpired. A few months ago, Jasleen informed me that she was offered Bigg Boss and that she had to enter the house with someone, as a pair. She requested me to join the show with her. Jasleen is my student and I even know her father well. I am a musician, so I refused to enter the show because I am quite busy with my concerts. But then, her father convinced me, and finally, I agreed to enter the house with her as a guru-shishya jodi. After that, we signed the contract and I was supposed to enter the house on September 15. Jasleen had entered the house before me. That day, I performed to Aisi Laagi Lagan and I announced my entry on the show. But, Jasleen shocked me when she said that we are in a relationship for the last three and a half years, and that we are entering the house as a couple. At that time, I wanted to maintain dignity and grace, so I did not say anything. Also, since we were inside the house I was not aware of how people were reacting to all this. In fact, if you have watched the show, you will know that I have never done anything romantic or objectionable that would suggest I am having an affair with her. I decided to clear this whole thing after I was evicted. When I came out and spoke to Jasleen’s father, he said that he was as shocked with what Jasleen had said on the show about us. In the last three years that I have known her, I have only gone to her house six times and she has come to my place around five times. We never stayed together when we travelled for concerts and we only met at airports. Now, do you call this a relationship? When I came out of the house my mother asked me, ‘Who is this Jasleen?’ Even my family does not know her. How can I be dating her then?

Were you aware that there are talks of Jasleen being in a relationship with Sukhwinder Singh?
I know that they were in a relationship. In the Bigg Boss house, when she said that my partner (referring to me) does not know that I was in a relationship with a very popular celebrity, I had to correct her and say that I was aware of it. I knew that she did many concerts with Sukhwinder and that they were in a relationship for almost a year.

Do you have grudges against Jasleen? Do you think that she benefited from being in the house with you?
Jasleen is a good singer and I had advised her to focus 70 percent on her music and keep the remaining 30 per cent on glamour. But, I think she is keen on acting and singing, so the 70 percent focus is going on being a glamorous person. She must have thought that being in a relationship in the Bigg Boss house would be a hotter topic of discussion than being a guru shishya jodi. So she preferred to announce this to the world. My image has been affected by this a bit, but now I have cleared everything. Of course, my friendship with her and the fact that I am her guru, has benefitted her, but I don’t see anything wrong with it. I have no enmity towards her and I will continue teaching music to her even after she comes out of the house. This is the entire truth and there is no shred of lie in this.

Will you ever marry again? Are you looking for a companion in life?
I will never marry again. I am happy with my friends, family and students. I have a large group of well-wishers and would love to happily enjoy my life being single. But, I don’t see anything wrong in a 65-year-old man marrying a 28-year-old woman. There have been many cases like that before.