Showing posts with label Raja Chaudhary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Raja Chaudhary. Show all posts
Palak Tiwari doesn’t consider me a father-Raja Chaudhary
10:04 AM
HINDUSTAN TIMES (July 30, 2026)
Actor Raja Chaudhary, known for his stint in Bigg Boss 2, recently spoke about his strained relationship with his daughter, actor Palak Tiwari, and said that he is no longer involved in her life. The 51-year-old revealed that he does not know about her personal or professional lives, but would be there for her whenever she needs him.
Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Raja, who has remained distant from his daughter since his separation from ex-wife, actor Shweta Tiwari, said he does not want to know about Palak’s life unless she chooses to share it with him.
“I have no idea where she is, what she is eating, what she is doing, where she is living, whom she’s living with, whom she is working with. I don’t even want to know, unless she comes and tells me, ‘Dad, this is happening’. I’m there for her 24/7, if I’m needed. But I’m not needed in her life at all,” he said.
On rumours of Palak dating actor Ibrahim Ali Khan, he said that it did not affect him because he does not share a close relationship with her.
“I would be bothered if she was a part of my life but she doesn’t consider me a father. It matters to a father if the daughter has maintained a relationship. Ask her mother how she feels about it. Why should I care? I am just a biological father; that’s what I was told. I have nothing to do with her; I was told,” said the actor.
Raja also revealed that he has blocked everything related to Palak on social media: “I don’t want to see their photos, videos because I have done my level of begging. I have justified myself enough, saying how much I miss her. I don’t want to anymore,” he said.
Raja and Shweta got married in 1998, and welcomed their daughter, Palak in 2000. Shweta filed for divorce in 2007, complaining that she faced domestic violence due to his alcoholism. The couple was granted a divorce in 2012.
I suffered professionally due to the perception others had of me-Raja Chaudhary
10:53 AM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; April 23, 2025)
Raja Chaudhary, who was part of the first season of Tenali Rama, returned to the ongoing season in a new role as Chaudapa Raya. The actor, who was last seen in Kaisa Hai Yeh Rishta Anjaana last year, shares, “I was happy, and it was great to reconnect with the old unit and friends.”
He acknowledges that being open about his personal life - he was earlier married to actress Shweta Tiwari - and past controversies may have cost him work opportunities. He says, “I don’t feel I’ve had the amount of work I truly deserve, possibly due to the negative publicity surrounding me. People who have never even met me assume I am always creating problems. If I really caused problems, why would the makers of Tenali Rama bring me back? Yes, I suffered professionally due to the perception others had of me.”
On a personal note, Raja, who battled alcoholism, shares that he has been sober for a while now. “Alcoholism was a major issue in my life, but I realized it much later. I was able to overcome it by focusing on something positive — pickleball. I immersed myself in the sport, which kept me busy and helped me fight my addiction. Thankfully, I’ve overcome it, though it remains a daily challenge. I have to push myself to stay on track. Since 2021, I’ve been living a sober life, and I can think more clearly, stay calmer, and be happier now. Sobriety has given me a broader, more positive outlook on life. When you’re not sober, your mind doesn’t function as it should, and you make decisions that you might regret later.”
He credits his family for being a strong source of support during his recovery. He says, “My parents were uncomfortable with my alcoholism. Ultimately, you live for your family, and when they’re not happy with you, it makes you realize you need to change. Once I acknowledged my mistakes and decided to surrender, I was able to work on myself. My family has been with me through it all, offering their moral support. If I could change one thing about my past, it would be never to have touched alcohol. It disrupted my life, and I didn’t handle situations the way I should have.”
Having gone through two failed marriages — one with actress Shweta Tiwari and another with Delhi-based corporate professional Shveta Sood — Raja is not looking for love or marriage at the moment. He says, “Although I am not averse to love and marriage, it’s not something I’m planning right now. Maybe when it’s meant to happen, it will. Let’s see.”
Regarding his relationship with his daughter, actress Palak Tiwari, from his first marriage, he says, “We stay in touch. She reaches out whenever she gets time from her busy schedule, and I do the same. I’m very proud of her.”
Revealed: What goes behind-the-scenes in the making of Bigg Boss
8:40 AM
Mid-day takes a look at the behind-the-scenes action to understand the making of the longest-running controversial reality show, Bigg Boss
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; July 9, 2024)
Pick up any season of Bigg Boss, and there is much happening on camera—from tasks to controversies, from flirtations to feuds. But things are equally dramatic off camera too. Do you know what happened after Bigg Boss season 2 contestants Rahul Mahajan and Raja Chaudhary breached the rules and jumped off the set’s outer wall? Or when Imam Siddiqui demanded to walk out of the sixth season? While we’ve seen the on-camera action for many years, this time, we zoom in on the people behind the camera who join forces every year to give us the reality show. From identifying interesting contestants to watching endless hours of footage, from running dummy episodes to setting up more than 100 cameras, they tell us what it takes to orchestrate one of the biggest reality shows.
Inception
Deepak Dhar, Founder and Group CEO, Banijay Asia & EndemolShine India, remembers that he watched the original Big Brother, a Dutch show, on DVD way back in 2005. The international team (of Banijay) had a simple ask—would it be possible to adapt the show in India?
“I was shocked when I watched it because a show like this is highly volatile and risqué. I couldn’t have watched the DVD with my family in the room. It was difficult to even fathom something like this could work in India, but I took it up as a challenge,” shares Dhar.
He pitched the adaptation to several broadcasters until Sony TV first picked it up. To date, Dhar remembers that the first contestant to enter the Bigg Boss house in 2006 was Salil Ankola, after which no one entered the house for over an hour due to a technical glitch. In the meantime, Ankola grew anxious, wondering if he was the only contestant on the show. Dhar laughs, “Salil thought it was a con job!”
Getting the right players
Early on, the makers figured out that the show was more about emotions than showcasing risqué things. “The minute we see a person with an agenda, we strike him off the list,” asserts Dhar, adding that the idea has always been to rope in people who have stories to tell.
“The fourth season was a standout, where we had Shweta Tiwari, Dolly Bindra, Khali, and Pamela Anderson. That was the turning point of Bigg Boss in the country. It was also the year we got Salman Khan as the host. We even cooperated with the authorities when they wanted to come and monitor if Monica Bedi dropped some evidence,” he shares.
The show’s detractors often speculate that Bigg Boss is scripted. But Tushar Joshi, Editor in Chief (Creative Director), rubbishes the speculation. He notes that often, the contestants provide the drama, while the creative improvises at times, but the makers have never intervened in the proceedings.
“We have never briefed any contestant, or gone in the house,” asserts Joshi, who has been associated with the show from the fifth season. He says the show relies largely on contestants’ personalities and their inter-dynamics.
“If a contestant is my biggest character, I can’t suddenly change my creative. For example, Ankita Lokhande was one of the most talked-about characters in the house. I couldn’t sideline her unless the house decided to sideline her. It’s a chess game between them and us. Whenever we make a move, they will also react.”
The makers also got a few seasons wrong in terms of casting. Abhishek Mukherjee, Head of Project, points to the ninth and 12th seasons. “In the ninth season, 10 out of 16 contestants were failures. So, we pumped up [the show] through various tasks and situations.”
Takes a village to make the show
The crew consists of over 700 people, who are then divided into weekday and weekend teams. “One is the reality team, which handles the episode from Monday to Friday, and the other is the weekend team. Despite being the weekend team, they are expected to watch the entire footage during the week. Then there is another team that takes care of my 24/7 live channel interactivity and the Unseen Undekha section,” explains Joshi.
Let’s make it happen
Which brings us to the most important part: the execution of Bigg Boss. It’s known that the show is shot 24x7 with over 100 cameras. While there are cameras stationed inside the house, there are also cameras placed near all the windows, with cameramen trying to capture the tiniest of actions and conversations. Did you know that when the contestants wash dishes at the sink, smoke in the smoking room, and sleep in the bedrooms, they have cameras directed at them from behind the tinted windows? If the cameraman takes a break, there is always someone to take their place.
Taking us around the set, Sarvesh Singh, Head of Production, says, “Everyone who enters the shooting alley around the house is expected to wear an all-black uniform to avoid reflections in the glass doors and windows. Every window is numbered. That way, when instructions are received from the control room, a cameraman can reach the right window to capture the required content. We have three rotational shifts for every crew member.”
Over 62,000 wires are laid down for every connection inside the house, which is later concealed to avoid monkeys disrupting the shoot. Mukherjee says that the pressure in the PCR (production control room) is tremendous. Ahead of a season, the crew has to undergo mandatory 15-day training, where they produce dummy episodes.
“In the first couple of days, my PCR team is taken through the old episodes, where we tell them how to divide streams, what to follow, and where the story lies,” explains Joshi.
“The next day, [a few crew members] go into the house, and start recording their own stories. In the next stage, we get dummy contestants and produce a few 12-hour episodes; we also do one 24-hour episode. It is not only for the crew, [but to ensure smooth functioning of everything]. Once the contestant enters, everything from plumbing to the smallest light needs to work for 105 days, or 45 days if it’s for the OTT. So, everything needs to be checked, including the pipes, flush, and gas. Sarvesh even instructs them to cook, just so that we can see if the stove is working.”
Everything a contestant carries inside the house is scrutinized by the team. Participants are not allowed to carry medications inside the house. If a person has a prescription for anti-anxiety, diabetes, or any other illness, it is delivered on a daily basis. “Senior journalist Deepak Chaurasia is in the house. He is diabetic and unable to walk, so we put inclines in the house for the wheelchair. Every day, his medicines and insulin shots are delivered,” explains Mukherjee.
Challenges
With a show of this magnitude, the challenges are bound to be tenfold. Singh remembers the behind-the-scenes drama that unfolded when Mahajan and Chaudhary, in the second season, breached the boundary walls, leading the creative team to consider having an early finale.
“They had made a sexist remark, stating that there were no women in the house to cook for them. Bigg Boss told them that they had to make their own food. Rahul removed the mic, and said, ‘I’m not doing anything. If you don’t provide us food, we will jump off the wall.’ We thought he was [bluffing], but they jumped off the wall and started walking towards the main gate. People started capturing them on phone cameras, so we grabbed them, put them in the car, and brought them back.”
Joshi recalls another instance when Siddiqui wanted to leave the show at 3 am. “He said he has a friend in Lonavala and he wants to go to her house. It turned out to be an old bungalow of Smita Patil, which was later bought by Imam’s friend,” shares Joshi.
Shifting from their Lonavala set after season 12 was another challenge. He highlights that despite having a medical team on standby 24x7, they have dealt with problems from “non-declared miscarriages. There were people taking 30 to 40 milligrams of anti-depressants in anger.”
The way ahead
With the world embracing AI, it’s only a matter of time before we have a Bigg-Boss-meets-AI version. Dhar says, “We have started moving in that direction; maybe by the end of the year or early next year, the process will be in place.”
Did you know?
- A season of the Chinese version of Big Brother was shot in India.
- India is the only market globally where Bigg Boss plays out across two platforms (TV and OTT) within the same year.
- The production relocated from Lonavala’s 17-acre set to three acres in Film City.
- Every year, the crucial members of the Bigg Boss team meet their international counterparts worldwide to discuss the previous season.
I could have had many advantages in the television industry, but TV isn’t my cup of tea-Palak Tiwari
7:46 AM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; April 29, 2022)
Palak Tiwari is all set to make her debut in Bollywood with Rosie: The Saffron Chapter. She is unfazed by the comparisons with her mother – television actress Shweta Tiwari — that are bound to happen. In a chat with BT, the young actress gets candid about wanting to do films instead of television, her family, and making peace with her father, actor Raja Chaudhary. Excerpts…
Most newcomers make their debut with a quintessential romantic film. Why did you choose a psychological thriller?
Initially, I, too, wanted to make my debut with a typical Bollywood potboiler. However, at this point as a newcomer, I would love to discover new things. When Rosie was offered to me, the very fact that it was not a conventional film to debut with is what made me want to do the project. I want to do things that challenge me and allow me to show my capabilities early on in my career.
Your mother is a popular actress on television. Did she put in a word for you?
I could have had many advantages in the television industry, as my mother has many contacts there. I have turned them down because TV isn’t my cup of tea. In fact, my mother has always told me that she wants to help me more, but I want to make it on my own. Everything in my life that I have is because of my mother. This is one place where I want her to just relax and not worry about me (smiles).
Are you disillusioned about love and marriage after seeing your mother go through two failed marriages (first with Raja Chaudhary and then with Abhinav Kohli)?
Not at all, because I have always seen my mother be a good wife. I have also seen my naani. So, I know that love exists, and my idea of love and marriage has not been tainted. But I have also realised that one should not rush into marriage. If you feel something is wrong with the person, it’s better to leave him at that moment. Women struggle with that the most and I have seen that with not just my mother, but women from around the world. We keep justifying things for our partners because we want to see the good in people. It’s a great quality, but it will come back to bite. That’s not love or at least that’s not the kind of love I want — not now, not ever.
How do you deal with the nasty comments and stories that surface about your mother? Do you ever feel like clearing the air for her?
We don’t spend a lot of time convincing people about our side of the story. My mother’s priority has been to make sure that the family is protected. That’s what I have focused on as well.
In an interview with BT, a few months earlier, your father (Raja Chaudhary) had said that he met you on a couple of occasions and things have become better between him and you. How is your equation with him?
After going through sobriety, he is finding himself again and is in a really good place. It’s been a fresh start for us. Also, people expect us to go back to being the perfect father-daughter duo, but that’s not how it works. We have spent a fair amount of time apart from each other because he was dealing with his issues and I was growing up. Now that we are getting to know each other, it’s from scratch.
Coming back to your life, what about matters of the heart and romance? You were recently spotted with Ibrahim Ali Khan...
It’s rubbish and rumours are just rumours. At the risk of sounding clichéd, I think I am too young for love, at least the kind I have grown up watching, which is Bollywood (laughs!). That love is so intense and profound. At this point, I don’t think I am capable of loving someone beyond my family, like that. So, love is not on cards anytime, soon.
It is Shweta’s bad luck that her second marriage also didn’t work out; she has been a good mother and wife-Raja Chaudhary
8:14 AM
Akash Wadhwa (BOMBAY TIMES; May 21, 2021)
Did you contact Abhinav, as claimed in reports, to inquire about the problems between Shweta and him?
Yes, I had messaged Abhinav, not now, but last year after reading about the harassment allegations against him by my daughter Palak Tiwari. As a father, I was concerned for Palak and wanted to know what exactly had happened. After hearing his side of the story, I didn’t dwell further on the topic. As a father, I think I had a right to reach out to him given the gravity of allegations against him.
The pattern is the same and that is why people are questioning Shweta. There is no doubt that Shweta is an excellent mother and a very good wife. It is just a sheer coincidence and her bad luck that history is repeating itself with her and her second marriage, too, hasn’t work out. It doesn’t make her wrong or a bad person.
So, are you able to assess what the real problem between Abhinav and Shweta is?
Well, I can’t comment on that, but yes, one thing I would like to say is that Shweta should allow Abhinav to meet his son. She needs to understand that as a couple no matter what the problems might be in a relationship, a father will not harm his own son or daughter. Rest, whatever is happening between them, I don’t want to get into that at all.
You met your daughter Palak after several years two months ago and were planning to meet her again. Did that happen?
No, we haven’t met yet because of the prevailing situation in the country. There is a lockdown in many places because of COVID-19, but I am in touch with her.
My daughter Palak has turned out to be a beautiful girl, it’s all thanks to my ex-wife Shweta Tiwari-Raja Chaudhary
8:00 AM
Akash Wadhwa (BOMBAY TIMES; March 30, 2021)
He adds, “Palak and I were in touch with each other through WhatsApp. Every day, I used to message her ‘Good morning’. But we hadn’t met at all. I was staying in Meerut with my parents. I had some work in Mumbai, so I called Palak who was rehearsing for her film. She took time out and we met at a hotel in Andheri for around one and a half hours. There were no grudges between us, nor did we discuss our past. There were only pyaar bhari talks between us.”
Raja says he wants to make the most of the second chance that life has given him. “My love for Palak has not changed at all over these years when I wasn’t allowed to meet her. But now, she is a grown up girl and can take her own decisions. I wish I could have met her all these years, but it is okay. I really missed all the things a father would want to enjoy with his daughter — her growing up, her school, her likes and dislikes, etc. But when I met her, I realised she has turned out to be a beautiful girl, it’s all thanks to my ex-wife Shweta Tiwari. I am really happy now,” he shares.
Shweta Tiwari accuses husband Abhinav Kohli of molesting her 19-year-old daughter from her first marriage
7:52 AM
The TV actress lodged a complaint against Abhinav Kohli at the Samta Nagar police station on Sunday
Neha Mehashwri (BOMBAY TIMES; August 13, 2019)
On Sunday afternoon, television actress Shweta Tiwari lodged a police complaint against her husband Abhinav Kohli for allegedly outraging her 19-year-old daughter Palak’s modesty. The teenager is Shweta’s daughter with her first husband, actor Raja Chaudhary.The actress, along with Palak, filed a complaint at Samta Nagar police station (Kandivali East). A police official told us, “Shweta Tiwari has registered a case of molestation against Abhinav Kohli. He would make obscene comments about her daughter and even show her obscene videos. He was arrested under Sections 509, 354 (a), 323, 504, 506 of the IPC and 67-A of the IT Act on Sunday, and produced before the court yesterday.”
Over the past couple of years, there have been rumours of trouble in Shweta’s marriage with Abhinav. In fact, last year, both Shweta and Palak had unfollowed Abhinav on Instagram. While the actress started following him some time later, Palak didn’t. Shweta and Abhinav have a two-and-half-year old son, Reyansh.
The actress, who is known for her portrayal as Prerna in the original Kasautii Zindagii Kay, was in the news a few years ago, when she accused her first husband Raja Chaudhary of domestic violence. Eventually, the two had an acrimonious divorce.
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TV actor and father blames actress ex-wife for their daughter being molested
Complainant's father hitting the accused in this 2010 grab
TV star's first husband tells mid-day he found the second husband, now accused of molesting the daughter, touching her inappropriately as far back as 2010
Suraj Ojha, Diwakar Sharma (MID-DAY; April 13, 2019)
The biological father of the 19-year-old who was allegedly molested by her stepfather has blamed his ex-wife for the incident. "This was expected. My ex-wife is responsible," he told mid-day, claiming he had advised her during their separation not to move in with the accused. He said the accused molested his daughter back in 2010, too.
The 38-year-year man, accused of molesting his stepdaughter since October 2017, has been sent to police remand for a day. The molested woman is the daughter of a TV actress who married the accused in 2013 after divorcing her first husband — the biological father of the woman — in 2007.
While the complaint registered at Samata Nagar police station states that the woman was being molested since October 2017, her father has alleged that the accused "had taken advantage" of his daughter living alone in their Malad West residence around October 2010 when the TV actress was busy with a reality show.
"My ex-wife was busy with a reality show and our daughter was alone at home. Once, when I entered their house in Malad, I was shocked to see the way he [the accused] was staring at her and touching her inappropriately. This riled me up and we had a heated argument. The matter reached the Malad police where I slapped him at the police station premises," he told mid-day.
"I was placed under arrest for standing up for my daughter. This man is morally corrupt and always took advantage of my daughter when she was alone. After my legal separation from my wife, I had suggested that she (TV actress) stay away from him (the accused). But she chose to stay with him. I was always worried for them and reiterated that the safety and security of my daughter were at stake, but she paid no heed to my advice," the father added.
'Will Take Legal Advice'
After learning about the incident, the victim's father texted his daughter. "I do not know how low he stooped to outrage her modesty but I texted my daughter who responded to my messages saying she was 'okay' and that I 'need not worry'. At present she is reeling under mental agony but I will speak to her to know the details in a few days," said the father, who added that he often exchanges texts with his daughter to find out about her well-being.
He is now mulling taking legal suggestion from his advocate regarding the safety of his daughter. "I am not sure what legal support I could extend to my daughter but first I need to speak to her and then I will contact my legal team to safeguard my daughter," he insisted.
mid-day's attempts to reach the woman and her mother went unanswered.
Forensic Analysis
A police officer at the Samata Nagar police station said that the accused had been showing sexually explicit photos of models to the woman since 2017. A case has been filed against him under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (insulting modesty of woman) of the Indian Penal Code and 67A (transmitting sexually explicit material) of the Information Technology Act. Sources told mid-day that the cops have seized the mobile phone used in the crime and it has been sent for a forensic analysis test.
2013
Year when star married again
Oct 2017
When accused first molested step daugher
2007
Year the woman's parents separated
OCT 2010
Month woman's father had a fight with the accused
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