Actor Mahhi Vij has entered the Bigg Boss house, but unlike several contestants who walk in with a game plan, she has chosen not to think too much about what lies ahead. In an exclusive chat with India Today before the premiere, the actor opened up about her decision to join Bigg Boss 20 and being emotional about leaving her child Tara behind.
The actor shared that while she has received offers to be on the show multiple times, she finally decided to say yes. “I don’t know what made me say yes. I think I am just going with the flow, and that’s about it. I don’t want to think too much,” Mahhi said when asked about her strategy to win the show.
While Mahhi has been working in the industry for years, it was recently her marriage to actor Jay Bhanushali that made headlines. The couple in January this year after 14 years of marriage. In a joint statement, the couple said they had chosen to part ways while continuing to be there for their three children – their biological daughter Tara and foster children Khushi and Rajveer. They also stressed that there was “no villain” in their story and that they wanted to move forward with mutual respect.
But naturally, a show that has a reputation for putting contestants’ personal lives under a microscope could have been an obvious platform for Mahhi to address questions around her separation. But she has no plans to do that. “I don’t want to talk about my separation. That’s something I will really want to talk about. It’s something very, very personal, and I would like to keep it personal. I will not want to discuss it ever,” she said.
If there is one personal relationship she is willing to talk about, though, it is the one she shares with her daughter, Tara. Mahhi admitted that leaving her child behind will be difficult, considering how closely they live their lives together. She said, “She is in my custody; we are together all the time, so it is going to be really difficult. We share every moment of our lives together.”
Still, Mahhi believes there is something important in Tara seeing her mother take on a new challenge. She added, “When she sees me being strong, that will give her strength. She is definitely a strong child and I want her to see my professional journey. We will be back to having fun after the show. She understands that this is my work, and she will be proud of me for sure.”
And while Mahhi may be going into the house without a detailed strategy, she is very clear about one thing: she isn’t there just to make it to the finale. When asked about her expectations of the show, the actor said, “I am hoping to achieve a lot. Honestly, I am going with the intention of winning. I don’t want to be a finalist runner-up in the finale. I want to come back home with the trophy.”
Another factor making a buzz on social media is Mahhi’s friendship with host Salman Khan. Recently, there were also rumours that the actor is dating Khan’s close friend and associate Nadeem Qureshi. Given their bond, the inevitable question about favouritism is almost unavoidable.
We asked whether knowing Salman personally makes a difference once she enters the house. “He’s never biased on the show, and I know him, but that doesn’t mean that he’s going to be biased. He’s never shown favouritism or favoured anyone, especially when it comes to people he knows. If he were biased or not genuine, he would not have been around for so many years,” she replied.