Media365
In India, every new season of a reality show often gives rise to a couple that becomes the talk of the town. Bigg Boss, too, has introduced several such pairs over the years, with Sidharth Shukla and Shehnaaz Gill being among the most popular. Before them, however, actor Tanishaa Mukerji, sister of Kajol, and actor Armaan Kohli made headlines for their relationship on the show. Their closeness became a talking point, with videos of their intimate moments on the show’s live feeds sparking controversy.
Now, Tanishaa has claimed that her experience on Bigg Boss was shaped by the manipulation and psychological pressure exerted by the show’s makers, who, according to her, created situations that influenced the contestants’ emotions and relationships.
Speaking about her experience on the Unfolding Humans Podcast, Tanishaa said, “I did Bigg Boss, which I didn’t know what I was getting into. My takeaway from Bigg Boss is: be careful what you put your fingers into. It is something you should walk into with a little more understanding. I was too naive and walked into it a little too blind.”
She added, “Relationships and friendships you have with anybody in your life are because of some karmic connection. Also, when you are in Bigg Boss, be very careful. Because when you are put into certain situations—even psychologists tell you that they purposely put you into situations, sometimes for you to feel like a team and be loyal to each other. They manipulate you into these things.”
Tanishaa Mukerji accuses Bigg Boss makers of creating ‘fake emotions’
Tanishaa went on to allege that the show’s makers deliberately placed contestants in difficult situations and paired them together, leading them to develop emotional connections.
“They put you together in dump situations—in jail together—so again you are sympathising with each other over your misery. All these experiences build fake emotions in you which are not really yours. The emotions that have been built up are because of the experiences you have had together, which, again, you didn’t choose to have. These are the situations determined by the people controlling the game show,” she said.
“These are the things I realised later,” she added.
ALSO READ | Ashneer Grover gives tour of Rs 100 cr DLF Camellias: ‘It doesn’t look like India’
Story continues below this ad
Recalling her initial days in the house, Tanishaa said she was uncomfortable with Armaan’s behaviour and the way he spoke to other contestants.
“I was really pissed off and would ask, ‘Who the hell talks and abuses like this?’ Because my upbringing wasn’t like that. I wasn’t used to all this. I even confronted Kushal, and it became one of my highlight moments in the Bigg Boss house,” she said.
She alleged that the makers subsequently placed her and Armaan in the same team, creating more opportunities for them to interact.
“When he sat with me, there was a familiarity that I felt with him by virtue of the fact that he was also a film industry baby,” she recalled with a smile.
Story continues below this ad
Explaining why she felt comfortable around him, Tanishaa said people from the film industry often find it easier to connect because of their shared backgrounds.
“It was easy to be around him because he had this film industry vibe to him, which nobody in the house really had. And then the situations put us into those moments where there was a lot of trauma bonding,” she said.
Tanishaa says she sought psychiatric help after Bigg Boss
Tanishaa also revealed that the experience affected her after she left the show and that she sought professional help to process what had happened.
She said, “It took me six months to break out of Bigg Boss brainwashing. You have to be very careful when you go into these reality shows, and today kids are a lot more sorted.”
Story continues below this ad
She added that her sheltered upbringing had left her unprepared for the kind of manipulation she believes she encountered inside the house.
“I think it is because of the background I come from, as I was living in a bubble. I was in a very live-and-let-live, easy space. I didn’t experience manipulation until I entered the Bigg Boss house,” she said.
Calling the show a life lesson, Tanishaa agreed with the idea that surviving the experience could prepare contestants for challenges outside the house.
“Once you are out of Bigg Boss, you are ready to take on life,” she said.
Story continues below this ad
Explaining what she meant by trauma bonding, she said contestants can become so accustomed to living together that leaving the house creates an overwhelming sense of separation.
“The trauma bonding was basically you are so used to being with these people in the house that when you are suddenly not with them in the house, you want to meet them all the time because you are not used to being away from them,” she explained.
Tanishaa Mukerji on her relationship with Armaan Kohli
Reflecting on her relationship with Armaan, Tanishaa said she felt isolated in the house and believed he was one of the few people on her side. “In the house, everyone was against me. So somewhere I felt like this person was the only one there for me. I was in a wolf’s den. Armaan was also a wolf to me, but a wolf in my corner. And that’s all it was,” she said.
Tanishaa reiterated that it took her around six months after leaving the show to move past the emotional hold she believes the experience had on her.
Story continues below this ad
Tanishaa and Armaan frequently made headlines during their stint on Bigg Boss 7 for their intimate moments and displays of affection. Some of their interactions on the show’s live feeds also drew criticism from viewers. The two continued dating for a brief period after the show ended before calling it quits in 2014.
