Actress Mannara Chopra, who became the second runner-up of Salman Khan's Bigg Boss 17, says that participating in the reality show has changed her as an individual. After the grand finale on Sunday, The Free Press Journal caught up with Mannara for an exclusive interview.
The actress said that she entered the Bigg Boss house with the aim of winning people's hearts and enjoying the journey. On being the second runner-up, Mannara shares, "I participated in the show with zero expectations. I wanted to enjoy my journey and when I met the other contestants on the first day, my reaction was 'Wow, it's a good crowd'. I'm glad I got the opportunity to interact with people from different walks of life. While I did not expect that I would reach here, there were a lot of contestants who saw a spark in me and they knew I would be one of the finalists. But I really want to just go back to the time before I started the journey. Because I feel that if I had worked on my social media before I entered the house and if I would have taken it seriously, I definitely would have been the winner."
Revealing one unique thing about herself that helped her secure a place for herself in the finals, Mannara says, "I believe it was my vibe. I was very very real in the show and I just showed that extension of my personality inside the house. I have a very jovial nature and I remained the same way inside the house, no matter what. My emotions were also real and I just went with the flow. And of course, my actions spoke louder than words. So being real really helped me."
Mannara says her personality evolved in the last three months. She claims, "I became more mature. I was always very talkative but what I learned is that I must use my words wisely. In fact, sometimes you just say things and don't mean them. So this platform has taught me to be careful with words and use them wisely. Most importantly, I learned how to make relationships and how to deal with heartbreaks when people don't live up to your expectations."
"I learned a new lesson everyday. Right from trying to adjust with different kinds of people to everything about home science. I knew nothing but I had the passion and enthusiasm to organically sync in," she adds.
Recalling the most challenging and difficult moment inside the house, Mannara avers, "The torture task was very tough. I sustained it for 30 minutes with chilli powder and masala on my face and body. My power was being tested to another level at that time. I was physically and emotionally drained and it really took away my mental peace. I still have scars on my hands. I will never forget that moment but I'm glad that it has made me a stronger person." For those unversed, Bigg Boss assigned the contestants a task where they had to remain glued to their buzzer, inside a cage, the face of any and all provocation. If one contestant leaves the buzzer, the entire team would be nominated. While Munawar Faruqui, Arun Mashettey, Abhishek Kumar and Mannara were in one team, the other team members were Ankita Lokhande, Vicky Jain, Isha Malviya and Ayesha Khan.
On a concluding note, Mannara says she's grateful to her fans for showering love on her. She gushes, "Now, the nation knows me. People love my vibe and they've become my tribe. That is the best change that has happened to me. Now when I walk into someone's office in a city like Mumbai, I will not have to spend the first 20 minutes trying to explain to them what kind of a person I am. They will already be aware and I'm sure they'll have a huge smile on their faces on seeing me."
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