Abhimanyu Mathur (BOMBAY TIMES; October 17, 2017)

Evicted Bigg Boss contestants comment on the shocking incident on the reality show
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; January 6, 2017)

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; January 3, 2017)

Gaurav Chopra, who was nominated along side VJ Bani and Monalisa for eviction this week is a “little lost and surprised” with his ouster. He says, “A part of me is still inside the house. There were no evictions last weekend because of New Year so we all assumed they would happen in the following week. Also, I wanted a week or two to do what I had started sometime ago, and that is unmasking certain people in the house.”

Ask him who they are and he takes Mona, Manveer and Manu’s names. “Those three are just pretending to be what they are. Nothing about them is instinctive, everything they do is part of a plan. They have a huge complex somewhere and are always plotting and planning. There is always some agenda with them. They are smart in raking up non-existent issues,” he says.

One of the highlights of his stay in the house was his friendship with Bani. While the popular VJ has a strong personality, Gaurav often didn’t take a stance and remained neutral in the house. Many viewed their friendship as that of pure convenience. However, Gaurav refutes that, “We are two very different people, but on a human level we connected in a strong way. I felt protective about her and also took things upon myself when she was going through a volatile, emotional phase. I had a strong concern for her and when you connect with someone in Bigg Boss house, you value that.”

Will the friendship last beyond the show? “Of course, not only with her, but also with Rohan (Mehra) and Rahul (Dev),” he says. So, who does he feel are the strong contenders to win the game? “I don’t want to name anyone because it’s the game that is the strongest and everyone else is a puppet. But yes, I am supporting Bani and Rohan.”

As for Om Swami, Gaurav feels he is not just manipulative, but has a criminal bent of mind. “I don’t know why he is inside the house, he is dangerous. He carries weapons with him, hides knives and spoons, and sharpens wood pieces. Sometimes in the middle of night I would get up to find him staring at me,” he says. And yet, he did not voice his opinion against Swami till Salman Khan called him out on that a few weeks ago. “That’s not true. From day one Swami is the only person against whom I lost my cool. He has been out of line with the women in the house and that is the biggest problem I have with him. But yes, in the last few weeks things got aggravated and I had also been voicing my opinions,” he says.

Tell him that overall he came across as an actor conscious of his image and not being himself and he denies it. “I did say that I have been invited to the show as an actor and that I am not in the show to be on TV. But what you saw was the real Gaurav,” he signs off.

Bigg Boss inmate Rohan Mehra’s father, making light of the time his son allegedly slapped Swami
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 30, 2016)


The Bigg Boss house isn’t new to controversies. On Wednesday, 27-year-old contestant Rohan Mehra of the telly soap, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, slapped Swami Om while they were in the middle of a task. The Swami claimed to be grievously injured and was taken out of the house for two hours to undergo an MRI scan.

Speaking to Mirror, Rohan’s father Ravinder Mehra defends his son’s action reasoning that he comes from a business family, was a National-level table tennis player who represented Punjab, Delhi and Mussoorie and an actor who has featured in two movies and the daily soap.

“Being a sportsperson, Rohan’s very focussed on the tasks and was irritated with Swami Om for his unwanted interference which was against the rules. Besides, it was Swami Om who got violent first, injuring Rohan and Manveer. He even started stripping in front of female contestants and urinated in the kitchen. Rohan is only doing this show because Salman Khan is hosting it, otherwise there is no reason to tolerate such contestants,” Mehra rages.

He goes on to argue that Rohan has been really patient for 11 weeks, ignoring the Swami’s disparaging comments. He goes on to add that since Manveer and the Swami himself were pushing people around, Rohan must have thought it would be as bad.

“Rohan respects his elders and addresses them as ‘aap’. It must have taken a lot of provocation for him to forget his maryada,” Mehra asserts. Quiz him on Rohan’s decision to quit after Bigg Boss punished him by nominating him for eviction throughout the season, and the father quips, “Rohan is a child. The makers have had a word with him and he understands that he is contractually bound to the show. I’m sure you’ll see the Swami dancing in the next episode,” he signs off.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; December 19, 2016)

Rahul Dev who was evicted from Bigg Boss 10 last week is a relieved man. He says he had enough of the house! “Lot of things have happened outside like demonetization. I have a company to run and several other responsibilities, that I will have to take care of now. I have a 80-year-old mother and 92-year-old father to take care of. Also, my son who is studying abroad is coming on the 19th so everything has fallen into place,” says Rahul. He, however, is glad that he who never could even boil water can now cook a good meal right from chopping vegetables to making a dish. “I cooked for 12 people for two-and-a-half days and also know to make coffee now,” he smiles.

The constant refrain about him in the house was he was lazy and could not take a stance. Even host Salman Khan called him out on that. Was he hurt by the comments? “No, because Salman always heard me out. I told him there and then, that I can’t plot and scheme, and can be entertaining to a certain extent.” However, in the next few week, Rahul perked up and even did an act spoofing Swami Om that got him a lot of applause. “Yes, but it was an act created out of a situation. And that’s what I do for a living,” he shrugs it off. As for Salman, Rahul says he has been extremely magnanimous. “He took me to his chalet and even promised me a job,” he grins.

About him being biased and supportive of Bani against Om Swami but not Lopa, he says, “Bani is clear that she does not like Om Swami, but Lopa herself is confused. On the one hand, she says he looks at her inappropriately and on the other he is the one oiling her hair and putting her to sleep!”

What prompted him to be a part of the show? “I had taken a three-and-a-half year break from films because I lost my wife Rina and had to take care of my son. I gave importance to parenting over everything else and went back to Delhi. Now, when I had to make a comeback, Bigg Boss was the best platform to give me that visibility.”

Rahul has found love again with Mugdha Godse and the two participated in Power Couple, too. Is he planning to take their relationship to the next level? “I can’t say about marriage right now, but Mugdha is extremely special. I am glad she is a part of my life,” he says.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 10, 2016)

The Bigg Boss house is all set to up the drama ante this weekend. After VJ Bani got into a fight with Swami Om, show host Salman Khan arrived on the scene to diffuse the tension.

A source from the sets reveals, “Bani and Swami Om who are two of the most popular contestants this season got into a fight after Swami started cursing Bani’s mother. When an infuriated Bani started throwing things around in the house and threatened to walk out of the show, Salman asked her to calm down and offered advise about how he used to have a similar temperament in his younger days but has changed for the better now.”

Turns out, Salman said that his behaviour has resulted in him losing some “important things” in life. “He went on to say that if he can overcome that particular phase of his life at 50, it won’t be too tough for Bani as she is still in her 20s. He also advised her to not abuse and snap at people all the time because it will not just affect her professional life but also her family,” the source adds.