Reality series The Traitors has been making headlines recently, not only because of its dramatic gameplay, but also because of the fiery arguments between contestants. One such incident that drew the eye of viewers was when actress Jasmin Bhasin called fellow contestant and social media influencer Apoorva Mukhija “badtameez,” that is, ill-mannered. Jasmin, addressing Apoorva in reference to her boldness and outspoken behavior, stated that there’s a difference between being frank and being rude and, in her opinion, Apoorva’s conduct was on the border of the latter.
Responding to this, fellow contestant and content creator Purav Jha stood up for Apoorva in a media interaction. He did admit that Apoorva’s personality is as bold as it comes, and that’s precisely what draws her audience to her. “Har insaan ka ek character hota hai… Apoorva ka bold character hai, aur uski janta ko woh pasand hai,” Purav explained, emphasizing that each person has his or her own style of communicating and Apoorva’s assertiveness should not be confused with being disrespectful.
But Purav also sided in the middle. While he defended Apoorva’s genuineness, he did admit that she might work on toning down her aggressiveness a bit so that her words do not hurt others accidentally. “Balance banana chahiye,” he said, meaning there’s always a space to be considerate, particularly in a setup like The Traitors where stress tends to reach its peak.
The argument between Apoorva and Jasmin has sparked an interest in the delicate line between being fearless and coming across as brash. To several fans, Apoorva symbolizes the emerging generation of female voices on reality TV, raw, confident, and not wanting to water themselves down. Jasmin’s statement, though incendiary, has just kept the dialogue going about how women get branded for speaking their minds.
In the end, the moment is a reflection on how egos clash with pressure in reality television and how audiences perceive those situations. Purav Jha’s response was a defense and a soft nudge reminder, that there is such a thing as kindness and confidence existing together, and maybe that is what makes a very strong voice.
