Bigg Boss 19 Farrhana Bhatt reacts to dating rumours with Bhaskar Bhatt

Hours after Bigg Boss 19 wrapped up its finale on Sunday, first runner-up Farrhana Bhatt blushed as people gathered to take selfies with her. She may have missed the trophy by a whisker to Gaurav Khanna, but the overwhelming fan support and the endless online chatter have made her one of the most memorable contestants of the season. And as it often happens with Bigg Boss, the moment she exited the house, she was immediately confronted with everything the outside world had been saying about her.
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And one of the biggest conversations on social media during her stint was the claim that she was being 'supported' by rumoured boyfriend Bhaskar Bhatt, a former employee of the production house that helms the reality show. As India Today caught up with Farrhana, we asked her about the claims that she was being pushed by Bhaskar internally, helping her reach till the finale.
"What? Bhaskar helped me? Not at all, and I don't think someone can even do that in a show like this. Honestly, he was the one who had told me, 'Don't ruin my reputation, and at least survive the game for three weeks'. He did advise me to be vocal and show my real personality. But if someone was not sure if I could survive a couple of weeks, how would they even push me, and why?" the Laila Majnu actor questioned.
We further informed Farrhana Bhatt how the internet had already created its own script and speckled it with a 'love angle between the two. While Bhaskar was by her side during the interviews, the runner-up dismissed the buzz with a mix of disbelief and amusement: “No way! He is a very dear friend. And in fact, I have met him only once or twice before the show. He is just a friend, and there's nothing like that. Bhaskar and me oh my God, this is so nonsensical. I am hearing this for the first time. Bhaskar and I are just friends, and to be honest, this is the third time we are meeting personally.”
She went on to reveal a past detail that explained the confusion. She shared how Bhaskar was the one who had approached her for the show initially. The actor said, "He had called me two years ago, but I was shooting for something then, and hence nothing worked out. I had his number saved as 'Bigg Boss' as I didn't even know his name. I got the call again this year from the producers, and I gave proper interviews in multiple rounds. I am getting to know about this from you, and it's really hard to believe that people even thought about this. But honestly there's no truth to this."
With the finale barely a couple of hours old, the conversation inevitably moved to Gaurav Khanna lifting the trophy. Throughout the season, the two shared a complicated dynamic, and Farrhana remained as frank outside the house as she was inside. “I still believe he was playing the character for the whole season,” she said, referring to the claims that Gaurav carried over traits of Anuj Kapadia from his daily show, Anupamaa.
“When people call you a star, be it cinema, film, or a TV star, it comes with a responsibility. You are showing people that you have morals; you have principles. But then, when it’s time to stand up to it, you fail you don’t take the right decision because your enemies are involved, or your friends are involved, or whatever. It shows that you are just a person who talks big but does nothing. He has honestly done nothing throughout the whole season; I can say that confidently, even when he's won it. He won because of his fans and the audience. That’s it.”
But for all the debates, speculation and mud-slinging that a Bigg Boss finale inevitably stirs, Farrhana mentioned how the loss hasn’t dampened her spirit even a bit. “I am feeling absolutely amazing. Because even if I didn’t win the trophy, I won people's love. That means a lot to me. I think I never had that trophy in my mind, I wanted to win hearts," the runner-up concluded.
Hosted by Salman Khan, Bigg Boss 19 airs on Colors and streams on JioHotstar.
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