‘If we slept, the siren would go off': Maira Khan on life inside ‘Tamasha Ghar’

Actor unpacks the politics, manipulation, and control she dealt with during her time on reality show

While it's true that reality TV isn’t entirely fabricated, the presence of cameras ensures some form of direction can be exercised. To shed light upon the same, actor and contestant Maira Khan has offered viewers an insider’s perspective on the on-goings in Tamasha Ghar, which recently concluded, while in a podcast with rapper Ali Gul Pir.

Pir, a musician and content developer, featured Maria as a guest on his podcast and posted a clip of the interview on Instagram. In the 25-minute-long discussion, she revealed the deceit of the production crew, the "politics" of the programme, and the show's harsh circumstances, such as its requirement to keep all contestants up for 12-hours straight and keeping an eye on them around the clock.

 

The Jaise Jante Nahin star revealed that her mother disapproved of her participation in the show, hosted by actor Adnan Siddiqui, two days before filming began. Having seen both Bigg Boss and Big Brother, she advised her to reconsider her decision to participate because of such shows’ potential for generating controversy.

"I got there and found out what a tamasha [spectacle] it can be,” she said, lamenting, "We could not sleep, Ali. If we dozed off, the siren would go off. So, you had to be up for 12 hours. You couldn't lay down or close your eyes."

Elaborting on the harsh conditions put forth by the show, she recalled being videotaped even during the allocated 12 hours of sleep. "We thought it was off time but they played it in the uncut version. We found out about this three weeks later that the nonsense we spewed after the lights dimmed was being aired to the world. It's available on YouTube, we're strolling in our pajamas, doing this and that, and everything is there. So, privacy was an issue."

By her account, Siddiqui, the presenter and judge, even requested a record of their bathroom trips. "Adnan reassured everyone that it was okay to install microphones wherever, even in the restroom." She also disclosed that Adnan justified this action by saying, ‘It's okay, we can set them up there as well. It's only us who would be listening to the sounds, we should know what they're talking about."

She concluded by expressing her distraught at the reality show's rules. "I would feel like a lab rat because each person was monitored by teams of twos or threes. They would monitor your mood, your anger, and everything about you. This is a part of reality shows, they manipulate your mind."

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