Nora Fatehi has come a long way since her stint on Bigg Boss 9Today, she is known for her dance performances, music and work across Bollywood and international projectsBut when she was offered the Salman Khan-hosted reality show in 2015, joining it was not something she immediately wanted to doIn fact, Nora has now revealed that she initially rejected the offer because she did not see reality television as part of her career plansHowever, things changed when she was told about the payment and she began looking at the opportunity differently. Nora entered Bigg Boss 9 as a wildcard contestant in December 2015 and stayed inside the house for around three weeks before being voted out in January 2016Years later, she has shared what actually convinced her to take up the offer and how she managed to get something else she really wanted from the deal.
Nora Fatehi reveals why she changed her mind about Bigg Boss 9
Speaking on the Untriggered podcast, Nora recalled that she was going through a difficult phase at the timeShe said she had worked on several songs but was facing delays in receiving paymentsAmid this situation, she received the offer to participate in Bigg Boss 9.
Nora said her first reaction was to refuseShe explained that she did not want to do the show and felt that the makers did not understand her visionHowever, when she was told how much she would be paid, she reconsidered the decision.
She said, “I did a bunch of songs, and they weren’t giving me my moneyThe producers must have paid the agency but… I had to wait for them to pay meThey were not paying me, and I was fighting, and it was just crazy… and then they called me and asked, ‘Do you want to do Bigg Boss?’ I was like, no, I don’t want to do it, and you all do not understand my vision, and bla bla… and then they said that I was getting paid this much moneyThen I was like (pauses), okay! It is not a bad thing; it is a platform, and it immediately makes you a household name if you are smart.”
Nora also pointed out that she was entering as a wildcard, which meant she did not expect to spend a long time inside the houseThis made the decision easier for her.
Nora Fatehi had one condition before saying – Yes
There was another reason behind Nora Fatehi’s decisionShe had her eyes on another reality show at the time – Jhalak Dikhhla JaaSince it aired on the same channel, she saw a way to turn the Bigg Boss opportunity into something that could help her pursue her dancing ambitions.
Nora revealed that she told the makers she wanted to do Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and would agree to Bigg Boss in returnHer condition was accepted, and she eventually got the opportunity to appear on Jhalak after her Bigg Boss stint
She added, “I was also a wildcard entry, so I was not going to stay there for long, and maybe I can exchange it for something elseI really wanted to do Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, and it was the same channelSo I told them to give me Jhalak, and in return, I would do Bigg BossI got Jhalak in exchange.”
Nora Fatehi in Bigg Boss 9
Nora Fatehi entered Bigg Boss 9 as a wild-card contestant, marking one of her early appearances on Indian reality televisionHer stint on the show brought her into the spotlight and introduced her to a wider Indian audienceSince then, Nora has gone on to establish herself as a dancer, actress and performer in Bollywood
Looking back, Nora’s Bigg Boss journey was much more than an unexpected reality-show appearanceIt came at a crucial stage in her career and, as she has now revealed, was also part of a bigger plan to get the opportunities she wanted.