As a part of a task, actors Akanksha Puri and Jad Hadid locking lips on last week’s Bigg Boss OTT 2 episode did not go well with the viewers. As the clip went viral, host, actor Salman Khan apologized to the audience, slammed the contestants and even threatened to quit if it happened again. Puri, who has been evicted from the house since, told a portal in an interview: “I did it and I am happy I kissed and I won [the task].”

Now, some former inmates of the Bigg Boss house are calling out the makers for not removing the scene from the final cut.

Actor Arshi Khan, who has appeared on multiple seasons of the reality show, feels: “There should be a limit to everything”. “Earlier, when I teased (actor) Hitten Ttejwani, without making it obscene, the audience loved it. Later, (actor) Rakhi Sawant did the same with (actor) Abhinav Shukla and went overboard.”

Singer Neha Bhasin, a contestant on Bigg Boss 15 and its OTT version, points out that makers should have controlled the live feed. “The makers had the choice to not show something they were later going to shame the contestants for. Instead, they packaged it... To first promote it and then condemn is a great strategy [to grab attention],” she shares.

Actor Pavitra Punia, who found love during her stint in Bigg Boss 14, blames the makers for minting mileage from the “drama”. She feels that makers should have acted responsibly: “They show one hour from a total footage of 24 hours. Why highlight the kiss? Why not edit it out?”

For actor Nishant Singh Malkani, who was seen in Bigg Boss 14, this gimmick reflected desperation for “15 minutes of fame”. “It’s making them cross the moral lines,” he says, adding, “The makers could put the kiss in the final cut because it is being streamed on OTT, otherwise TV pe toh nahin dikha paate.”

Actor Zeeshan Khan, who was seen in the first season of Bigg Boss OTT, shares, “Nowadays, the concept of entertainment for people is a little twisted. Rebel banne ke chakkar mein, they go against values. Earlier, it was entertainment for everyone, now, it’s becoming unfit for family viewing.”

Of late, actors from TV shows Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (TMKOC) and Anupamaa have spoken up about the toxic work culture and harassment on set. This raises a pertinent question: Why are such serious issues not spoken about despite the presence of regulatory bodies like Cine & TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) and Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE)?

FWICE president Birendra Nath Tiwari says, “The organization can take strict action against the offender or stop the shoot temporarily, but we can’t do anything unless victims come out and register an official complaint. Actors don’t want to spoil their equation with the production houses. Hence, they don’t talk about it openly.”

Given that CINTAA is a union that largely comprises actors, many believe it’s highly unlikely that they’d take strict action. “Jo CINTAA mein baithe hain, unhe bhi toh kaam chahiye producers se. I’ve heard that CINTAA comes, takes money [from the producers] and ignores the matter,” says Control Room actor Nishant Singh Malkani, who recalls being told by CINTAA members to do what the producers were saying.

Actor Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal, who recently accused TMKOC producer Asit Kumarr Modi of sexual harassment, says, “Every time a CINTAA representative had to visit the set, which is usually a surprise visit, Asit would know about it beforehand and everything would be put into place. So, when we know that producers had their way of dealing with CINTAA, why would we go to them?”

CINTAA general secretary Amit Bahl says, “We have an outrage committee, a care committee and a dispute-settlement committee. The moment we get any complaint regarding abuse, we act instantly. CINTAA doesn’t charge a single penny for any case.”

On actors’ claims about CINTAA members taking bribe, Bahl adds, “We disaffiliated CINTAA from the federation six years ago, after we found out that there were corrupt people in the union.”

While some actors stress on the need of a counsellor on set to tackle such issues, producer J D Majethia says that after the #MeToo movement, every production house was told to make a committee and immediately report any such mishap, not only regarding harassment, but also toxicity on the set. “But, in the absence of the committee, if any unpleasant incident happens and the producer isn’t taking any action, the victim should inform the channel and CINTAA,” he says.

Actor Monika Bhadoriya, who called out the production team of TMKOC, says she didn’t know there was a body that helps with such issues: “I thought CINTAA only helps with payment-related issues. Also, people keep quiet to not harm their careers.”

TMKOC actor Priya Ahuja feels going to CINTAA would mean “turning producers into your enemies”. Echoing similar thoughts, Malkani adds that actors choose to stay mum as they don’t want to be “tagged troublemakers”.

Days after the death of his Rakshabandhan... Rasal Apne Bhai Ki Dhal co-star Vaishali Takkar, actor Nishant Singh Malkani revealed that Takkar was in a toxic relationship with Rahul Navlani, her neighbour in Indore (Madhya Pradesh).

“We became good friends and shared some aspects of our personal life. Rahul’s name did come up a few times. He visited us on the sets last year,” he says, adding, “She was going through a lot of stress those days, which she told me was because of Rahul. I didn’t get to know him, but I knew of the things he did.”

Malkani recalls how Takkar would often break down on set. “It was a very toxic relationship. She used to cry so much on set, kabhi kabhi acting bhi nahin kar pati thi because she was under so much stress and trauma. I used to tell her to ignore him and move on,” he says.

While the two parted ways, Navlani did not let Takkar move on. “He was married. Whenever she wanted to move on, he held her back by emotionally blackmailing her,” he shares, adding, “She consulted a psychologist and was even taking therapy.”

While the late actor confided in Malkani under the condition that he would not tell anyone, the latter decided to open up so that the culprit can be nabbed. “Vaishali was doing everything in her power to move on... I have only one tool, which is to tell the truth,” he wraps up.