Anup Jalota, the veteran singer, has recently opened up about his controversial stint on Bigg Boss 12, alleging that the romantic angle with his then-student, Jasleen Matharu, was scripted. The pair's appearance as a couple on the reality show had raised eyebrows due to their significant age gap, drawing criticism and media attention.
Jalota revealed that he initially declined Matharu's offer to participate in Bigg Boss 12, but was later convinced by her father. According to Jalota, the condition for their participation was to enter as a "vichitra jodi" (weird pair). He insisted that they would portray the relationship of a guru and shishya (teacher and student), to which Matharu agreed.
However, Jalota was taken aback when Matharu introduced them as a romantic couple who had been in a relationship for three years on the show. He claims that he barely knew her. Jalota stated that he was shocked by this revelation, assuming that the show's makers had instructed her to do so. "I was shocked, but I was thinking that this might be a part of the game, kisi ne toh use yeh padhaaya hoga bolne ke lie," he said.
In an interview with The Lallantop, Jalota clarified that Matharu had only attended his music lessons around 5-6 times. He added that she had received an offer to participate in Bigg Boss and he encouraged her to take it, believing it would bring her fame.
Following his eviction from Bigg Boss 12, Jalota has consistently denied any romantic involvement with Jasleen Matharu. He has blamed the show's makers for creating the romantic narrative to boost the show's entertainment value and TRPs. He stated that their "romantic date" on the show was "completely scripted" and that they were instructed on how to act. "The date that we had in the house was completely scripted. We were told what and how things will flow. And we just followed their instructions. There is no truth in this, not even one per cent," Jalota said.
Jalota also accused Matharu of using his popularity to gain fame. He said that she wanted to "ride on my popularity," and he was happy if he could help her achieve that. He also mentioned that he clarified to Jasleen's father that the decision to portray their relationship as romantic was solely Jasleen's.
This isn't the first time Jalota has made such claims. Back in 2018, after being evicted from the Bigg Boss house, he gave several interviews stating that there was no romance with Jasleen Matharu and that everything was staged. He also mentioned that he suffered financial losses due to his participation in Bigg Boss 12.
The alleged scripted romance between Anup Jalota and Jasleen Matharu remains a controversial topic. While Jalota maintains that it was a fabricated storyline for the sake of entertainment, the incident continues to fuel discussions about the reality of reality television and the extent to which shows are willing to go to capture audience attention.
