Nora Fatehi's decision to enter Bigg Boss 9 was not exactly driven by a love for reality television. The actor and dancer had already done several songs but says she was struggling to get paid for her work when the offer for Salman Khan's reality show came her way.
Speaking on the Untriggered podcast, Nora recalled how she was chasing payments from producers when she was approached for Bigg Boss. At the time, she was not keen on doing the show and had a very different view of reality television.
The actor said, “I did a bunch of songs, and they weren't giving my money. The producers must have paid the agency but… I got to wait for them to pay me. They were not paying me, and I was fighting, and it was just crazy… and then they call me and ask, ‘Do you want to do Bigg Boss?' I am like no I don't want to do and you all do not understand my vision, and bla bla… and then they said that I was getting paid this much money. Then I am like (pauses) okay!”
Nora eventually saw a bigger opportunity in the show. She realised that appearing on Bigg Boss could help her reach a much wider audience, especially if she used the platform well.
“It is not a bad thing; it is a platform, and it immediately makes you a household name if you are smart. I was also a wildcard entry, so I was not going to stay there for long, and maybe I can exchange it for something else. I really wanted to do Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, and it was the same channel. So I told them to give me Jhalak, and in return, I would do Bigg Boss. I got Jhalak in exchange,” she added.
Nora entered Bigg Boss 9 as a wild card contestant in December 2015 and was evicted in January 2016. During her brief stay, she developed a close bond with Prince Narula. The two were seen flirting on the show.
Prince went on to win the season. He later married fellow Bigg Boss 9 contestant Yuvika Chaudhary. The couple now have a daughter, Ekleen Narula.
