As the week draws to a close, Bigg Boss fans can’t help but wonder, who will be evicted this week.
Changing the norm of putting up two contestants for eviction every week, this week the show has nominated six Housemates namely Juhi Parmar, Raageshwari, Shonali Nagrani, Amar Upadhyay, Mahek Chahal and Pooja Misrra (the latter being nominated for the third consecutive week).
“Since Bigg Boss is India’s biggest reality show, people speculate with abated breath to see who goes out every week and who gets to survive. This week too, the anticipation is high,” says celebrity publicist and Bigg Boss specialist Dale Bhagwagar, who has handled the media for maximum number of reality show contestants like Shilpa Shetty (Big Brother), Rakhi Sawant, Kashmera Shah, Sherlyn Chopra and Ashmit Patel (Bigg Boss) among many others.
Hesitant to come up with a probable name, when we push Dale for his personal opinion, he says, “Knowing, studying and understanding the show from years, I’d pick Raageshwari. Though she is a fabulous person, I feel she hasn’t been able to meet the requisites a scandalous show like this demands. This makes her the weakest link at the moment, very likely to be evicted.”
“Plus, if Raageshwari goes, there’ll be more drama as her ‘best friend’ Pooja Bedi will be terribly upset that her closest pal left instead of her ‘target’ Pooja Misrra,” Dale adds.
Now, Dale has rarely gone wrong in his judgment, so let’s see if he has his hand on the pulse this time too. It sure is an interesting wait-and-watch game.
When interior designer Shyam Bhatia designed the Bigg Boss House with vibrant colours and open spaces, he wouldn’t have dreamt in his wildest dreams that the Mumbai Police would barge into it a few weeks later.
According to an article in a leading tabloid, officers from the police department soon plan to enter the Karjat-based Bigg Boss House, to deliver court summons to popular actor Amar Upadhyay.
Amar, who became a small-screen idol after his portrayal of Mihir Virani in the television daily soap Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, one of the biggest on Indian television ever, is being summoned by an Udaipur court for a cheque bouncing case.
The article mentions that the complainant in the case, Udaipur-based Harinarayan Soni, had reportedly invested in Amar’s company Mihir Virani Multitrade Pvt Ltd, which the actor had formed with two other partners. The company is said to have been named after Amar’s screen name, in the hope of using its popularity to attract more investors. It followed the finance chain-membership system and Soni has claimed that he earned profits worth Rs 7 lakh in 2001.
It is said that the cheque issued eight years later by Upadhyay’s company, however, bounced, and Soni approached the police, and subsequently filed a court case.
“To my knowledge, Amar resigned and exited the said company way back on Dec 23, 2003 and has not been part of it since then,” informed the actor’s publicist and spokesperson Dale Bhagwagar, who is handling his media affairs, while Amar is lodged in the Bigg Boss House.
“The said cheque could have been issued after his exit from the company and Amar might not even be aware of this case. Someone could be trying to make him a soft target with such false allegations to gain publicity, as he is a celebrity and is currently confined to the walls of the Bigg Boss House; completely cut off from the outside world,” Dale added.
Firecracker Rakhi Sawant is cracking up over a forced wardrobe malfunction. Apparently, some freelance photographers at a promotional event of her forthcoming film Loot, clicked some compromising shots of Rakhi and passed them off on websites as a wardrobe malfunction.
The pictures showing Rakhi posing on a big purple chair wearing a bright red dress have a glimpse of her panties.
“On spotting Rakhi wearing a short dress, the photographers seemed to have had a gala time clicking her from lower angles. Rakhi is a bit angry but more amused that people are calling this a wardrobe malfunction,” remarked her publicist Dale Bhagwagar.
“Why all this zabardasti ka hungama? Main toh waise hi itni hot hoon. Where was the need to do something as creepy as this,” Rakhi said in her trademark style, seeing the pictures termed as ‘Rakhi Sawant’s first wardrobe malfunction’ on the Internet.
Stepping into Bollywood almost at the same time, actors Sonakshi Sinha and Ranveer Singh grabbed a lot of eyeballs. While Ranveer’s confident and charming portrayal of Bittoo Sharma in Band Baaja Baaraat won him a lot of female fans, Sonakshi’s role as the gaon-ki-gori Rajjo in Dabangg impressed many.
Following this, both the actors showered praises on each other in various chat shows, and expressed their desire to work together. So much so that gossip mills even linked them up. But now there is a slight twist in the tale of their mutual admiration society (wink).
Nominated in the Fresh Talent of the Year category in Dainik Bhaskar Group’s Bhaskar Bollywood Awards, Ranveer and Sonakshi are at loggerheads, competing tooth and nail with each other, hoping to get more votes to win the title.
Touted as India’s first democratic awards, these are solely judged on vote counts, without any jury to override public opinion. This makes the battle between Ranveer and Sonakshi even more interesting – a true test of fanfare and popularity. Only time will tell, who beats whom!
A group of writers, actors and directors from the Pakistani film industry have decided to take legal action to ban Indian movies across Pakistan, according to a report on Smashits.
The artists include Pakistani actors Moamar Rana, Shaan, Meera, Sangeeta, Syed Noor and Shahid, directors Aslam Dar, Altaf Hussain, Masood Butt and Pervaiz Rana, along with producers Jani Malik and Chaudhry Kamran.
The report says that they pledged to stop the screening of Indian films in Pakistan. It adds that they are upset with Indian movies pulling more audiences compared to Pakistani movies. The artistes feel that if Indian films were not screened, Pakistani movies released on Eid-ul-Fitr would have fared much better.
Pakistani filmmaker Syed Noor said that their protest is not only to ban screenings of Indian films, but to revive Pakistani films. However, he added that they need the support of Indian filmmakers to come forward and shoot at Pakistani locations, and use their country’s artistes in Bollywood films.
When we contacted Bollywood’s celebrity publicist Dale Bhagwagar, who has handled the media for Pakistani artiste Meera in India, he was unaware of the actress being part of such a movement.
“Meera is currently in her home country Pakistan and I will have to check with her before I comment on a sensitive issue like this,” Dale said, adding that “Meera has always maintained that she sees herself as an ambassador of peace between India and Pakistan through the medium of films.”
After being evicted from the Bigg Boss House, one of the first things Rajasthani Kalbelia dancer Gulabo Sapera did was to indulge in defamation and slander towards Pooja Misrra.
Gulabo was quoted saying, “She (Pooja) smokes a lot. So, she went into the smoking zone smoked a cigarette and something else too. I am sure she is on drugs! And then she started behaving like a mad person, broke the mop and all.”
In an interview, Gulabo added, “Pooja would often ask me for incense sticks which I never refused to share until I got to know what she used it for. Honestly, I couldn’t believe when I saw her taking a lit incense stick to the washroom. What on earth will people do with a lit stick in the washroom? I’m sure she would either eat the remains or snort it. Uske baad toh woh badal jaati thi. Pooja is such an addict that she has even stolen those sticks from the packet I had.”
“Gulabo Sapera has maligned Pooja Misrra’s image in print. She should have been wary and careful with words. If Pooja decides to challenge her charges about drugs in the court of law, how will Gulabo be able to prove anything? She should have thought about this before indulging in image assassination on a national scale,” remarks celebrity publicist Dale Bhagwagar, who has handled the media for some of the most controversial Bollywood celebrities including Vivek Oberoi, Shiney Ahuja, Priyanka Chopra, Shilpa Shetty (during Big Brother), Rakhi Sawant, Kashmera Shah, Sherlyn Chopra and Ashmit Patel (Bigg Boss).
Dale, who has elaborately counseled Pooja Misrra over days before she entered Bigg Boss, added, “Many of my past clients on Bigg Boss have been disappointed as they were not permitted to carry a lot of their favourite things on the show. Even books or religious idols are not allowed inside the House.”
“To the best of my knowledge, each and every participant who enters Bigg Boss, goes through a medical fitness test just a few days ago and is thoroughly checked, scanned and screened along with all the baggage, before entering the show,” he explains.
The publicist concludes, “What Gulabo is saying is a case of sour grapes. I might believe, if someone tells me that things can be sneaked into jails, but there is no way anyone can smuggle unwanted materials into the Bigg Boss House without the knowledge of their production crew. It’s impossible. Their security levels are unbreachable.”
“Dolly Bindra was the attacker, while Pooja Misrra is a victim. Dolly was aggressive, while Pooja only retaliates. The two cannot be compared, as their personalities are poles apart,” believes public relations expert Dale Bhagwagar, who has been instrumental in shaping images of many reality show celebrities including Shilpa Shetty (Big Brother), Rakhi Sawant, Kashmera Shah, Sherlyn Chopra and Ashmit Patel (Bigg Boss).
The celebrity publicist was reacting to comparisons between the two Bigg Boss participants (Dolly and Pooja) of corresponding years on an internet forum, where he officially answers questions on the biggest reality show India has ever produced.
“Before going into the Bigg Boss House, Pooja (Misrra) had three elaborate PR consultancy meetings with me, discussing the nitty-gritty of the show,” admitted the PR specialist on the forum.
“The most important thing I told her was to be herself. Pooja is a sweet girl who never wishes to cross swords with anyone, but she is also the kind who would not tolerate any hanky-panky. If someone attacks her, she will be quiet once or twice. But the third time, she can be a tigress,” Dale remarks.
He explains, “See, a tigress lives in her own space and doesn’t bother anyone. Pooja is just like that. But if you harass a tigress and enrage her, the claws are bound to come out. And they can be lethal. That’s what is happening in Bigg Boss.”
Pooja Misrra, the most discussed and debated inmate of Bigg Boss, has won this week’s round by a huge margin of votes for the second time, ousting Rajasthani kalbelia dancer Gulabo Sapera from India’s biggest reality show.
“When it comes to evictions in Bigg Boss, the public is king,” comments celebrity publicist Dale Bhagwagar, a specialist with reality shows. “By winning this round, inspite of all the House attacks on her, Pooja has come across as a true winner. She has proved that she is an elephant on the show,” he adds.
“By now, the other contestants would be extremely scared of coming up against her in future nominations. I won’t be surprised if they ‘plot’ again, this time round, to stop ‘nominating’ Pooja, just to save their own selves from getting ousted,” Dale remarks.
True! Pooja Misrra continues to dominate the minds of all Bigg Boss Housemates, most of whom want her out, especially following the recent incident where she kicked a dustbin and broke kitchen stuff, while taking a physically threatening gesture towards contestant Mahek Chahal.
After being evicted, Gulabo Sapera, stated in an interview, “She (Pooja) smokes a lot. So, she went into the smoking zone, smoked a cigarette and something else too. I am sure she is on drugs! And then she started behaving like a mad person, broke the mop and all.”
Countering her claims, Dale retorts, “As far as I am aware, every participant’s bags and accessories are thoroughly scanned and searched by the production team of the show before they enter the Bigg Boss House. It is impossible to smuggle any unwanted stuff inside the house. Gulabo’s statement about Pooja Misrra using drugs is nothing but a case of sour grapes.”
After the highly publicized Ali Merchant-Sara Khan shaadi on Bigg Boss last year, there were speculations that the pregnant wrestler Sonika Kaliraman would deliver on Bigg Boss this season.
A publication had even exclusively quoted Sonika saying, “I’m going to try, and really hope to stay on the show for as long as I can. Imagine, I’ll be the first woman to deliver on a TV show. Isn’t that inspiring?” The article had stated that Sonika was to deliver between the last weeks of December and first week of January, very much within the term of Bigg Boss.
But the wrestler, who has popularized the sport among women in North Indian states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, after taking a voluntarily exit from the House, has flatly denied there were any plans to ‘deliver’ on the show.
“I did not get into the Bigg Boss House with a plan to deliver my baby,” Sonika has asserted in interviews after coming out of Bigg Boss. “I know a lot of people are saying that I was paid money to have my baby born there. But that was certainly not the case. My due date will come long after Season 5 is over and done with.”
Celebrity publicist Dale Bhagwagar who is a specialist with Bigg Boss, having handled Ashmit Patel through the thick and thin of controversies last year, said, “Sonika’s exit is a loss to the reality show. Moreover, she was one of the most cool-headed contestants which is a rarity in the House.”
Sonika has said in an interview that she entered Bigg Boss because she wanted to show viewers what pregnant women are capable of. “I wanted to prove that pregnant women don’t have to be bedridden; I wanted to prove the ‘take rest’ school of thought wrong,” she remarked, saying that the constant honks, sirens, loud noises added to her stress, because of which she decided to opt out of the reality show.
With all the hype and hoopla going around Pooja Misrra in Bigg Boss, it’s becoming more and more difficult to come to a conclusion about who, out of the nominated Gulabo Sapera and Pooja, will be evicted next.
Most of the inmates want Pooja Misrra out of the House after her ruckus in the kitchen, where she kicked a dustbin, screamed at Shonali Nagrani, broke kitchen stuff and almost came to blows with Mahek Chahel, who went to her bed with eunuch Laxmi Narayan to console her.
“Gulabo Sapera and Pooja Misrra are both tough contestants. While Gulabo is an extremely popular and fabulous dancer, one cannot ignore the fact that Pooja Misrra has come to be a huge TRP churner his season,” remarks celebrity publicist Dale Bhagwagar, a specialist with Bigg Boss.
Dale, who has handled the publicity for many reality show contestants like Shilpa Shetty (Big Brother), Rakhi Sawant, Kashmera Shah, Sherlyn Chopra and Ashmit Patel (Bigg Boss), feels the evictions should wait a bit. “They should be postponed for the time being and till things settle,” he analyses. “This would also give a little time for Pooja Misrra to calm down and people to decide whom they wish to vote for and whom the want to evict.”
The public relations expert believes the show is going at breakneck speed and is delivering too much too soon. “The first two evictions happened so fast, there was hardly any time to ponder. Nihita Biswas came and went in a jiffy, while Sonika Kaliraman had an exit without the Aapka Farmaan episode. She should have been given a chance to speak to Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt while on her way out,” adds Dale.
