Roshni Olivera (BOMBAY TIMES; April 4, 2021)

Kavita Kaushik was recently in the news for her stint on Bigg Boss 14. The actress, unhappy with the way things shaped up in the house, walked away one day, never to return. Now, Kavita has turned down Khatron Ke Khiladi 11, too, and says she doesn’t want to take up another reality show again. So, what has prompted her to take such a stand? Read on...

Why have you decided to not be a part of any reality show?
I have realised that I have no patience for a reality show. I also lack the dramatics and theatrics required for it. Being on a reality show doesn’t make me happy; in fact, it makes me so uncomfortable and out of place that it shows on my face and makes me an angry person! Not that I haven’t done reality shows in the past; I participated in Nach Baliye 3 and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 8, but I did those only when I wanted to buy a house. I have a few houses that I own now, so I don’t need to put myself through the pain of being in a show and stand in a line to take marks for something that I don’t believe in, just for the money.

Has the Bigg Boss experience also prompted you to take this stand?
I am not a people pleaser, and that disinterest shows on my face, so I think it’s highly unfair on my part to be on a show and not give my 100 per cent. In fact, I don’t know why people are offering me these shows despite me refusing them every year. A reality show has done more harm to my career than good whenever I’ve done one. Also, I think it’s getting repetitive and boring... me walking out of reality shows!

Before Bigg Boss 14, you had walked out of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa a few years ago...
In the case of Jhalak, I walked out of the finale, not the show, due to some banter, which I didn’t want to be a part of. So, maybe that’s the thing, I don’t like to be at the mercy of others, be controlled or have to take jibes and insults. I guess that’s a weakness in today’s times.

What about the money? Have you been paid your dues for Bigg Boss?
I don’t even want to ask, let alone fight for it. The fact is that I did walk out and refused to go back to the house despite repeated attempts by the team. I like to play fair. I have nothing against the team; they are wonderful and hard-working.

Reality shows provide an actor with a different kind of platform. Don’t you want to reach out to the audience as Kavita Kaushik?
I highly disagree with this notion that what one sees on a reality show is the truth. Those who can project themselves perfectly will be the winners and rebels will fail at such a game. I would want to connect with my audience by giving them different roles and characters to enjoy. Being an actor is my strength and I am passionate about that. Actually, how does it matter what Kavita Kaushik is all about? Kisi ko apni behen ka rishta karna hai kya mere ghar? (Laughs!) Sorry, but I don’t think that way.

In terms of your acting career, what are you looking at next? A fiction show? Maybe a new season of the TV show FIR, given the recent rumours?
Yes, FIR might just be back with a new season if and when the team reassembles. There’s a new Punjabi film and also a web series where I play an investigating officer.