Hi peeps
I have been a silent member in the forum, just putting in votes here and there. It's almost the end of this season and thought I would pen down my thoughts. Honestly, I didn't think I would be able to see through the end of this season because of ... well... obvious bias and favouritism displayed by the channel and surprisingly, one of the biggest stars of Bollywood who has the power to break or make careers, either bowing down to the makers or simply turning blind eye... either of which I don't understand, because on one hand I feel he is powerful enough to put forth his POV and not cater to channel's whims of white-washing their favourite contestant and also I feel him turning blind eye does no good to his... already such good image.
Anyhow, I had watched BB11 ardently for sometime and yes, there was bias there too... and I just couldn't go through BB12 because it was so boring. I started this season just because I was bored and Rashmi, Siddharth and Daljit were all famous TV celebrities I had adored at one point. (My favourite to date remains Barun and Sanaya). So as a viewer, these two were my favourite automatically, and having watched Splitsvilla and BCL, I didn't like Paras at all!!!. I didn't like Devoleena because I hated Saath Nibhana Saathiya... I had watched an episode of one of Krushna's comedy shows, where they would roast the guests... and had found Aarti hilarious and witty ... was so looking forward to her... rest I didn't care much about... at least at the start.
Rashmi: Amongst those there, she is my favourite. Yes, I am declaring it outright, though I am kinda scared of doing this. People are brutal and cruel here. I don't care about whether she lied about knowing Arhaan's marriage and child or not. It's her personal life, she does not owe me any explanation regarding this. The only answers she owes me, as a viewer, is about her game. Yes, she had a huge potential, given her popularity. Yes, she wasted it away. To an extent. She entered with fire, and since we are not shown all of 24 hours footage, so we don't know who started, but she shouldn't have talked about Siddharth's outside habits/ life at all. She should have talked about his game and aggression, thereon inside the house. I think she entered with the expectation that all TV people will be supporting one another, but that did not happen. I absolutely hated her during the time of Arhaan entering first, then after his first elimination and then during the second run. I will not mince my words, she was dependent on him. But no, she was not a doormat. She is very much capable of her own game, so Arhaan part has actually brought her down, because as much likeable she is, that part made her unlikable to some extent. The quality I appreciate about her is that yes, she might twist her words, but to even during fight say things like, I like her (for Mahira), is a good strategy. Not mouthing bad words, even in the worst of times. Because to know it's a game and everyone wants to win and not let that hamper your mind and make it spit foul and bad words, which will seem unnecessary later, is an art which requires a lot of maturity. I love how instead of going head on aggressive with Siddharth, she recognised that the channel is favouring him and it will ruin her game further, she stopped doing it and rather started a positive image of herself. I am happy that she is not calling out on Siddharth anymore because kya faayda! she will get blamed and will be put down. When "Aisi Ladki" can be given humorous twist and "ghar pe lena band Kar Diya" can be forgotten, then there is no point in harming your game by repeatedly going after the same guy.
Asim: I think, Asim has had the best graph in BB. Honest to God, I skipped his intro on first day. Yeah, some model. Then, some really loud model, fighting unnecessarily for roti. A guy, who was getting irritating to watch. I think, he didn't position himself very well initially. Then he recognised that he is the Laxman to Ram, the second fiddle, he will be used to elevate someone else, he shifted gears, and positioned himself opposite to Siddharth. That for me was a masterstroke. And if hadn't done that, he would have been just another doormat this season. There were more than enough of Siddharth's "Main Akela Hoon" and controlling his interactions with other people to open his eyes and other signs to change his game. and Boy I am glad he did. Otherwise, I would have never ogled at him at all. I find his game top notch, changing tactics where required, taking sympathy where it can be taken (Rashmi is shit at this). His only Archillis heels in the game is Himanshi, who was a good player (silent killer), but the whole proposal thing and then talking about Rashmi and Arhaan was foolish move. His proposal was cringe, to me. And even if he listened about Arhaan thing that Himanshi said, he shouldn't have said anything. He already knows by this time, he is no favourite of channel and his brother has told him about his popularity, so why say anything against someone from your team, even if that person is a competitor at the end of the day. Just listen and don't say anything, That earned him quite wrath, which was deserving. (This is where I feel Rashmi is ahead, she stays silent, the one place where she said about Siddharth being Shehnaaz's game, well that is TRUE!)
Shehnaaz: I have never liked her on WKW. I will clarify this first. I have always found her fake with SK on screen. And it is cringeworthy at times. And so is Sidnaaz. I skip their parts, because it is the same, attention chahiye, some random fight with her getting insulted and words said to her that no woman with respect would listen. Then, the obvious sitting on him, or crawling over him, well... it's kind of sexual and cringe... both of which I don't want to watch on BB. I will leave this topic here. Anyway, apart from WKV, she started growing on me during the weekly episodes, her entertainment quotient was bang on. She didn't need to play dumb for it. She was so good at mimicking (when it was kinda harmless, recently when she did Aarti) was hilarious and her flips were good. I like how she stood upto Siddharth during tasks, doing what she wanted at times. I would have loved her to do this all the time but alas, she would be another doormat. I would just end this by saying, I like her as a contestant when she is playing individually, but not as a part of Sidnaaz. She is one player who could have gained all the popularity by playing independent and just being entertaining, but she hitched her wagon to Siddharth and lost her game. (and her self respect, dignity etc)
Aarti: I was so excited to see her. I loved how she gave it back to Krushna so good. And then she proved to be exactly opposite in the house, a doormat. There is someone pulling strings for her to have survived this far, or she has come this far because she is doing chores for Siddharth, well take your pick. She can shout and she can fight back. But she wasted her energy on someone else's fights, not raising voice when actually needed ("AisiLadki" anyone). Well, another doormat.
I can't pick who has been worse (or better) in terms of doormat between Shehnaaz and Aarti because Shehnaaz has made Sidnaaz thing so cringe-y to watch at times, because of whole physical thing or the same repetitive attention thing, but she is entertaining or Aarti who never had the guts to stand up to Siddharth, not when he abused her "friend" Rashmi nor when he called her verbally but has maintained her dignity by not doing cringe-y stuff.
Paras: I didn't like him. I have already said that. But, regardless of him unnecessarily targeting Siddharth by bringing up the driver stuff ( This was not required), I started to warm up to him initially because, though he was loud and crass, there was someone who was worse (*cough* Siddharth and Asim). He was the only guy in so called Bahu Gang and was doing so well. I was definitely overlooking his flaws at the time. Then he took a turn for the word and started his splits villa, bowed down to Siddharth and thus will only be remembered as guy who could have done so much and wasted his time creating a love angle, HE did not require at all!!!. At least not initially.
It's kinda amusing that Paras is now placed in the house as where Asim was initially and Asim has taken Paras' place.
Siddharth: I had not watched Khatron ke Khiladi. I had watched his interviews at time and saas bahu aur saazish and other places, and I liked him. Sweet, tall and handsome. Dreamy... surely. I actually thought he would be my favourite, because being a heterosexual female, I am biologically programmed to find males more attractive and though I support women and everything, but c'mon, the attraction to handsome men does come with soft corner for them. But then, unnecessary aggression and putting down others. Honestly, the sad part here for me is that , before the "Aisi Ladki" thing, what put me off about him was actually the way channel was whitewashing him. I mean, there was an obvious and very questionable behaviour, but things like not doing housework I would have still ignored because he has not done, that is a wholly flaw of Indian society. But with every instance of his aggression or wrong behaviour and every WKV of whitewashing, I started disliking him more. The "Aisi Ladki" was a done deal for me. I cannot like him ever. Period. and Yes, this has earned sympathy points for Rashmi from me. But who gave this opportunity, Siddharth. So only he is to blame. There has already been so many discussions about his behaviour, I don't want to write more. But there is favouritism, that he also understands. And he is abusing it.
Mahira: *Ears bleeding* every time I hear her. Never liked her. Will never like her. Be it the way she has disrespected Siddharth and Rashmi, used Shehnaaz, gotten used by Paras, and every time she throws a "Asim has broken my trust" or whatever. I am sure, Asim must have returned her favour multiple times (I don't keep a count of this) but she always has this dialogue. He doesn't owe her anything. She already has Paras and that is why she is here till now. Rashmi should have let her go during the first finale itself. (can't forgive Rashmi for this mistake)
Phew!!! Enough of my rant... Having said that... my last season... The bias and favouritism is too much for me. The worst of it is all the people, especially females supporting Siddharth. Our society is already patriarchal, always catering to male egos. And slowing we are moving towards some semblance of female voice, gender-equality is a far utopia, at least as far as India is concerned. And then shows like BB13 happen and I see women supporting men like Siddharth, and my blood boils. How am I supposed to expect equality when misogyny is so deeply ingrained not just in men but in women of the country too? Are these the qualities we find attractive?
Cricket
Anupamaa
