In an interaction with Sudhanshu we spoke about the show, Harsh Gujral's comment that he is becoming 'latto' on Elnaaz Norouzi, rumours of The Traitors being scripted and more

Murtuza Iqbal

Sudhanshu Pandey has been a part of many movies and TV shows. His performance as Vanraj Shah in Anupamaa had grabbed everyone's attention. The actor is currently seen in Amazon Prime Video's reality show, The Traitors, which is hosted by Karan Johar. You had kept yourself away from reality shows, but what made you say yes to The Traitors?

When I was approached for this, it was exactly what you said. I mean, I told them that if it's anywhere close to a show like Bigg Boss or something, consider this a 'no' because I don't see myself in that space. The makers said that we would like to have a virtual meeting with you so we can explain to you the whole concept, format and everything.

So, that's how it started. They explained to me the whole format and how it will be, and how it is like an award-winning format from Europe; it's a very classy kind of game show. They said that we'll get people from all walks of life, and that is what they did, apart from a couple of people in the show who are known for their notorious behaviour.

You have played this grey character of Vanraj Shah in Anupamaa, so the audience was expecting that they would get to see that side of yours in the show as well. They expected that you would be doing a lot of plotting and planning, but that's not happening. Why?

That is because this is what Sudhanshu Pandey is, and most of the people know what I am like. These days, on social media like Instagram, all the fans are transmitted in your life. They follow you very closely, whatever you are putting out there on social media, they can see a pattern, and they understand what kind of a person this actor could be. So I have always had that thing with the fans that they know exactly how I am in real life.

When you go into a show like Traitors, it is a very, very big platform, and a lot of people are watching it. So what happens is that a lot of people are seeing what Sudhanshu Pandey is in real life. I am a peace-loving person; especially in a scenario like this, I am extremely peaceful. In a scenario where a few people are very noisy, abusive and disrespectful, I have maintained my calm.

In an Instagram live, you revealed that you were embarrassed after hearing what Harsh Gujral spoke about you and Elnaaz Norouzi as you were watching the show with your family. But, on a lighter note, how did your wife, Mona, react to it?

(Laughs) We are a strong family, by God's grace, and we know each other; we know what kind of space we are in. So, I have grown-up kids, and they are also, by God's grace, very mature. They know their father very well. So, they laughed at it, and there was no reaction after that. That is a blessing for me. But having said that, I think what disturbed me was that I have a great equation with Harsh.

If he had said all these things on my face, I would be in a position to give it back to him in humour.  But behind my back, making a statement like that creates a very wrong perception. That can have a very detrimental to someone's image or someone's family. You can't be so irresponsible. That is why I got very upset. When a reality show is made, people on social media start saying that it is scripted. The same thing is happening with The Traitors. So, what do you have to say about that?

I think that is the biggest bullsh*t. I don't know where this comes from. I don't understand how a show like that can be scripted because it is such a long script that we are shooting for 12 hours. How can everyone remember their dialogue for 12 hours? It is very illogical to say something like that. It is nothing scripted. Nothing can be scripted in a reality show. It is just that they pick up people and they sort of put them together in a scenario, and then leave it to them how to react in that situation. In the end, it is a mind game, and that is what they do.

The Traitors has people from different generations, and of course, there are talks on social media about how Gen Z contestants like Apoorva Mukhija and others in the show are using abusive language, and they don't know how to talk. So, what do you have to say about this generation that thinks that using cuss words is very cool? 

I don't blame kids or youngsters for being the way they are. I am not saying that The Rebel Kid, Apoorva Mukhija, is a bad kid. I know that she has a good heart. Unfortunately, what happens is, all of that doesn't matter when your language is not right. I don't know how kids think that being abusive or disrespectful is a cool thing. You call people by their first name, even if they are 30 years older than you.

They say things, they make statements, and then there is a controversy. They are enjoying it, but when it gets too much, they start crying, and then they say, 'This is not me'. Why are people treating me like this? Why am I not getting a house? Their energy needs to be channelised in the right way, and for that, I think parents are the most responsible to see which direction their kids are heading and show them the right direction.

I think parents are hugely responsible for it. But if parents only encourage this kind of behaviour, then you can't do anything about it. Then obviously it's a gone case and you just leave it to God. To read the full article, log onto The Free Press Journal website