‘2nd Player In The World To..’: Sahil Salathia On His Second Chance With ‘The Traitors 2’

Sahil Salathia, who is currently seen in The Traitors Season 2, is back for another shot at the game after being betrayed and eliminated in the very first episode of the first season. The actor and model, who has previously been seen in projects including Panipat, Paurashpur, Hasmukh, Adhura and Honeymoon Photographer, has built a reputation for taking on varied roles across television, films and OTT.

Talking about getting a second opportunity to play the game and take his journey forward, Sahil says he feels extremely fortunate to be back. He shares, “I feel very fortunate because I’m literally the second player or contestant in the world to be brought back after being murdered in one season. It happened once before in the UK, and now it has happened in India. So, I feel extremely lucky and grateful to get this opportunity to play the game again. But this time, I know I’ll have to be much smarter and show different shades of myself if I want to do really well in the game.”

Having experienced both seasons, Sahil also opens up about how the second season feels different from the first. He says, “Season 2 is not over yet, so you never know how my journey is going to pan out. But if I compare my experience of not being murdered first this time to Season 1, it definitely felt like a big relief. In Season 1, the murder felt very personal because it was done by a very close friend. When someone you’re extremely close to chooses you to be murdered over 19 other contestants, of course, it hurts. And the fact that the game hadn’t even officially started made it even more shocking. Season 2 has already started, so you’ll have to stay tuned to see how I take my journey forward.”

Season 2 is not over yet, so you never know how my journey is going to pan out. But if I compare my experience of not being murdered first this time to Season 1, it definitely felt like a big relief. In Season 1, the murder felt very personal because it was done by a very close friend. When someone you’re extremely close to chooses you to be murdered over 19 other contestants, of course, it hurts. And the fact that the game hadn’t even officially started made it even more shocking. Season 2 has already started, so you’ll have to stay tuned to see how I take my journey forward.

- Sahil Salathia

After experiencing betrayal in the first season, Sahil admits that his approach towards trust has changed completely. He says, “Absolutely. I’m not trusting anybody this time because the dhoka that happened with me in Season 1 was the baap of dhokas. So, in Season 2, I’m not trusting anyone blindly. I’m going completely with my instincts.”

While reality shows often lead to strong friendships and alliances, Sahil says he is consciously avoiding getting too close to people this time. Sharing why, he says, “The Traitors is not really a game where you make friends. In fact, after my experience, I would say you shouldn’t even come into this game with very close friends. You play for yourself or for your team, whether you’re an Innocent or a Traitor, and ultimately, you have to put someone else under the bus. The first three episodes of this season are out, and clearly, I’m not trying to build strong friendships. I’m trying to stay under the radar, at least for now. That’s the strategy you’ve seen from me in the first three episodes.”

Finally, Sahil reveals that after watching the first three episodes, he would actually prefer to be a Traitor this time around. Explaining why, he says, “Going into Season 2, after seeing the first three episodes, I definitely wanted to be a Traitor because then you don’t have the fear of being murdered. And let’s be honest, the format of the game is written for the Traitors. Even the name of the show is The Traitors. They get to be the protagonists in many ways. They can murder whoever they want at night without having to give any explanation. It could be a right judgement or a wrong judgement, but nobody can question them. They have the superior power in the game. As an Innocent, playing this game is much harder, and doing well as an Innocent is way, way harder than being a Traitor.”

With his experience from Season 1, a more cautious approach and a determination to stay under the radar, Sahil’s return to The Traitors 2 promises a very different journey this time around.