Imagine having a fanbase of over eight million and still getting evicted from India’s biggest reality show, ‘Bigg Boss 19’. Participating in the show with a partner who boasts of 30+ million followers doesn’t help either.
If you think that’s a tragedy, let me tell you there’s more to it.
On ‘Weekend Ka Vaar’, Nagma was amongst the first contestants to be evicted from ‘Bigg Boss 19’, along with actor Natalia Janoszek. While the latter faced a language barrier, Nagma was hardly seen in the house.
This is particularly shocking coming from an influencer who was one of the first in the country to make a swift transition from TikTok to Instagram following the ban. She featured in multiple dance videos with her now-partner, Awez Darbar. Later along the journey, Nagma also started creating content on makeup, travel and putting her life out there on YouTube as vlogs.
She had the opportunity to tap into not only her and Awez’s massive fan following but also ‘Bigg Boss 7’ winner Gauahar Khan. Before her ‘Bigg Boss 19’ entry, Nagma told us that she saw Gauahar lift the trophy in season 7 and .
The influencer also recalled her conversation with Gauahar in the same conversation. “She said, ‘Be yourself and don’t try to be someone else.’ She also said she wouldn’t advise much because the game has to be ours, not anyone else.'”
But here’s the thing: Nagma had two to three weeks to show her game, but she failed. Be it kitchen drama, female contestants playing women card to nominations, the 33-year-old did not voice her opinion on any issue. She was a mute spectator even when she was given the responsibility of moderating a task.
Such behaviour is disappointing not only to ardent followers of the show, but also to those who witnessed the rise in her social media following.
In recent years, several influencers have appeared on the reality show and made a mark. A case in point is Elvish Yadav, a Gurgaon-based influencer, who became the first wild card contestant to win ‘Bigg Boss’, despite his season being the OTT version. After his win, Elvish also became a gang leader in ‘MTV Roadies XX’ and appeared in ‘Laughter Chefs Season 2’. Interestingly, he won both of those shows, too. But, unlike Nagma, Elvish was present to be seen in the house. He was actively participating in the tasks and playing his game the way a potential winner is supposed to.
Other influencers who became a talking point in ‘Bigg Boss’ include Abhishek Malhan, Sunny Arya, Anurag Dobhal, Armaan Malik and his two wives, Kritika and Payal, and Lovekesh Kataria. Whether they won or not is a separate story. What needs to be emphasised is that they made an effort to value their presence inside the house, to value the audience and their time watching the contestants.
Nagma’s eviction is a message to influencers: Followers don’t guarantee votes in ‘Bigg Boss’. Her eviction will probably also make the makers vet the contestants even more thoroughly. After all, the show is about personalities and not social media fanbase.