We had fun, but nothing more

Being a foreigner in a reality show that demanded its contestants to only speak in Hindi may have been tough for Claudia Ciesla, but it didn’t stop her from surviving for longer than other contestants on Bigg Boss, who were household names in India.

Being a foreigner in a reality show that demanded its contestants to only speak in Hindi may have been tough for Claudia Ciesla, but it didn’t stop her from surviving for longer than other contestants on Bigg Boss, who were household names in India.

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Talking to HT City post her eviction from the show on Friday, Ciesla says, “I didn’t expect reaching the tenth week. I’m proud of myself. I had no support here — my family is not here. I have friends in India, but not as many as others have. Of course I was hoping that I’ll win, but I wasn’t thinking much about winning. Ultimately, my image is the most important for me.”

From the moment Ciesla became friendly with fellow contestant Pravesh Rana, reports have been suggesting that their so-called romance is ‘staged’ with an eye on TRPs. She refutes, saying, “I don’t agree. Pravesh and I were friends because we are of the same age and we understood each other well. Of course, each other’s support was a factor. We had fun, but nothing more. We were just friends inside the Bigg Boss house.”

Asked to react to Vindu Dara Singh’s statements that Ciesla had backstabbed him on the show, she replies, “I don’t think I was a bad person on the show. I was not bitching or gossiping as much as Rohit (Verma).”

Finally, how does she address rumours that her friendship with Bakhtiyar Irani irked his wife Tanaaz Irani? “Bakhtiyar and I had minimum contact. I wasn’t friends with him, so I don’t think anyone can say that (link us up).”

Just before she signs off, Claudia makes her choice of the winner clear. “Vindu or Pravesh — both have a nice strategy.”