After spending 13 weeks in the Bigg Boss house, actress–lawyer Kunickaa Sadanand has stepped out with renewed confidence. In a candid conversation, she reflects on her experience and addresses claims of bias. Excerpts...

Lasting 13 weeks felt like an achievement. No one from my age group has managed to stay that long and remain relevant in the game. Before entering, I assumed the show was scripted, but it isn’t — you react instinctively. I didn’t go there to scream or fight; I went to be myself. I’ve come back stronger. This is Kunickaa 2.0.

If Salman Khan truly favoured me, I would have been in the top five. Audience votes are what matter. We’ve done four movies together, and after 18–19 years, meeting him again was lovely.

Makers won’t visualise me only in glamorous vamp roles anymore. They can now see integrity and strength in me. I can take on women-centric roles, legal dramas, and even stories rooted in smaller towns. I’m also a practicing lawyer, though I take very few cases — only the ones close to my heart, such as domestic-violence matters.

The whole game revolves around social media now. It should be about personality, but it has become about popularity, which is unfortunate. Contestants are judged by the number of followers backing them outside. The audience should judge a person for who they are, but social media influence has become the biggest deciding factor, overshadowing real personality and authenticity.