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EXCLUSIVE: Upen Patel Talks About Karishma Tanna, Rushabh Choksi & MUCH More!

EXCLUSIVE: Upen Patel Talks About Karishma Tanna, Rushabh Choksi & MUCH More!

Priyam Saha
Upen Patel | Photography by Teena Khan

Upen Patel | Photography by Teena Khan

Loverboy and ex Bigg Boss contestant Upen Patel came visiting MissMalini HQ for an exclusive tell all interview about his stay in the Bigg Boss house, his new-found girlfriend Karishma Tanna, the adorable hashtag #UpMa, future plans and much more! You cannot afford to miss this one.

Check it out:

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Here are the highlights:

MissMalini (MM): What is happening on the show?

Upen Patel: I just want to say the show is not scripted. The show is real, we were living that show so it’s real. When I read that article you sent me, I was quite taken aback to be honest. But it’s okay I guess.

MM: And it’s all part of the entertainment! You kind of go in knowing that you are putting yourself under scrutiny…

UP: I still think that people should consider that these are real people with emotions. It’s very easy to see 45 mins and judge everyone and it can be disheartening.

MM: Are you glad you did the show?

UP: It was the greatest experience of my life. I’m waiting for season 9! Before going on the show I was quite nervous. I called you up , I spoke to my mum, I spoke to Salman…

MM: What did Salman say?

Upen: “You’re not happy at home? Why you going into another house?”

MM: That does sound like him!

*Paani Puri Break*

(So, before coming Upen told MissMalini that he wanted to have paani puri. #TrueStory)

Upen Patel | Photography by Teena Khan
Upen Patel | Photography by Teena Khan

MM: Everybody wants to know what you were doing before Bigg Boss?

UP: For the last three years I had been shooting this film called I directed by Shankar.  So I was based in Chennai for 3 years and I was on contract so I couldn’t shoot any movie, so I was stuck in that. And Shankar isn’t someone you say no to.

MM: In Bigg Boss you had nowhere to sleep when you entered! You were sleeping in the plane! Did they tell you this? Or did you just show and up and you were like WHAT THE…

UP: I knew nothing about what was gonna happen. We were just told bring our passport and bring our bags… so I got two bags, I had really less stuff.

MM: Most of the guys were wearing no shirts at all!

Upen: I think only one guy wasn’t wearing any shirt….

Upen Patel and MissMalini | Photography by Teena Khan

MM: Are you surrounded by women all the time in real life as well?

UP: In my family, there are a lot of women. I suppose I am surrounded by females. Where I come from,  you don’t make friends by gender but compatibility. But I feel privileged. I got pampered in the house.

MM: Your date night with Karishma Tanna had paani puri. So is that where the fixation for paani puri comes from?

UP: No, I’ve always liked them. But this one time I had asked Karishma where she’d want to go for our first date and she’d said, she’d want to go have paani puri. I think they heard that and sort of put that in.

MM: So, is marriage on the cards?

UP: No, marriage is not on the cards. I gave the ring as a symbol of our bond. It doesn’t have to mean  marriage, but never say never! You know I do like the girl and I’d like to see where it goes further from here…

MM: But it’s a big deal to show that much interest in someone on national television?

UP: When I was in that situation I was like it’s now or never!

Upen Patel | Photography by Teena Khan

MM: Okay. If not Karshma, who should win Bigg Boss?

UP: If I said anyone else I’d be lying. It’s Karishma… or me if I was in the game. No one else.

MM: One lesson from the Bigg Boss house…

UP: WOW! I have learnt so much about myself… how far I can go, how to deal with certain situations, how to live with a whole load of different personalities… live on minimum food. See, the house is not bad, games are not bad, we make it bad.

I met a lot of good people… Arya (Babbar), Soni (Singh) some really great guys. And we still maintain our friendship. I think each person that came out, had something nice to say about me. They took a part of me with them so that’s a big thing for me!

Check out the many faces of Upen Patel here:

Upen Patel | Photography by Teena Khan

Upen Patel | Photography by Teena Khan

Upen Patel | Photography by Teena Khan

Upen Patel | Photography by Teena Khan

Upen Patel | Photography by Teena Khan

Upen Patel | Photography by Teena Khan

Upen Patel | Photography by Teena Khan

Upen Patel | Photography by Teena Khan

Upen Patel | Photography by Teena Khan

Upen Patel | Photography by Teena Khan

Upen Patel | Photography by Teena Khan