Bigg Boss 15’s Pratik Sehajpal on Neha Bhasin’s claim of him pretending to be single: Why should anyone have a problem?

Bigg Boss 15 runner-up Pratik Sehajpal could not take home the trophy but won the hearts of millions. In a candid conversation with Hindustan Times, he talked about breaking down after losing, getting a special present from host Salman Khan and also addressed allegations that he is secretly in a relationship.

When Tejasswi Prakash was declared the Bigg Boss 15 winner, Pratik was in tears. “Jab insaan bohot sachchai se effort daalta hai na kisi ke liye, toh woh har cheez ke saath bohot emotionally connect karta hai (When someone sincerely puts in a lot of effort into something, they get very emotionally connected to it),” he said, explaining his emotional moment.

Pratik said that his eyes were closed and he ‘did not realise’ when the announcement was made. “Suddenly, I could hear everyone cheering and everyone on the sets was just screaming,” he said. When he saw that Tejasswi won, he could not stop his tears from falling. “Mereko pata hai kitni dil aur jaan se mehnat kari hai iss show mein (I know how hard I have worked to remain in the show). I just could not hold myself back,” he said.

In the very first week, Pratik was chastised by Salman for unscrewing the lock on the bathroom door while Vidhi Pandya was taking a shower. He admitted that he felt ‘very low’ after being scolded and cried a lot. “Lekin uss cheez ke baad jo badlaav aaya na mere andar, usko Bhai ne next week hi itna appreciate kiya aur uske agle hafte bhi (After that incident, Salman noticed the positive change in me and appreciated me the very next week and the week after that). He told me that he is proud of me and I really, really appreciated that,” Pratik said, revealing that Salman gifted him his T-shirt after the finale.

Pratik’s equation with his fellow Bigg Boss OTT contestants – Nishant Bhat and Shamita Shetty – was loved by fans, who dubbed the trio PraNiSha. He called it a ‘janam janam ka rishta (relationship for several lifetimes)’ and said that they had a strong emotional connection with each other. “This friendship is always going to be there in my life and I am always going to cherish it genuinely. I am very lucky to have them in my life,” he said.

Talking about his fractured relationship with Karan Kundrra, Pratik said that he was scared of becoming his yes-man ‘because he has been my mentor’. Pratik was a contestant on the MTV reality show Love School, which Karan was the host of.

“I was so proud of myself when I started taking stand. Unki jo baat mujhe galat lagti thi, main unke against stand lene laga tha (I took a stand against him if I felt he was wrong). But in the process of all that, I really got hurt by the things that he did to me and towards me,” he said.

Pratik said that he eventually realised that Karan is ‘just playing the game according to how he wants to play’. “If I am getting hurt, that is my problem, I should just detach myself and not get hurt,” he said. He tried to distance himself, he said, adding, “But kahin na kahin still mereko affect karti thi cheezein (But somewhere, I would still get affected).”

However, Pratik has no bad blood towards Karan now. “Theek hai, jo hota hai, achche ke liye hota hai (Whatever happens, happens for the best). Hope God blesses him,” he said.

Pratik seemed to be taken aback when told about Neha Bhasin’s war of words with his sister Prerna Sehajpal in December last year. At the time, Neha asked Prerna to ‘put a leash on’ Pratik and teach him to ‘stop running after women’.

Responding to the comments, Pratik said, “I think you should probably talk to the women that I have been running after, ki main actually bhaaga ya nahi bhaaga (whether I have even run after them or not). They can tell you better.” He maintained that if he formed a bond with someone, ‘it has only been friendship’.

“Agar main kisi se emotionally connect kar raha hoon, usse peeche bhaagna nahi kehte hai, usse kehte hai ek genuine understanding. Kisi ko agar lagta hai ki main kisi ke peeche bhaaga hoon, toh woh uski problem hai (If I am connecting with someone emotionally, that is not called running after someone, it is called developing a genuine understanding. If someone feels I have run after women, it is their problem). I have nothing to say. I would just like to keep away from such statements. That’s okay, everybody has their own opinion,” he said.

Also see: Pratik Sehajpal’s sister reacts as Neha Bhasin asks her to ‘put a leash on’ him, teach him to ‘stop running after women’

Pratik also addressed Neha’s allegation that he is ‘pretending to be single’ while secretly being in a relationship. “Yes, if I have a life, it is private. Chahe meri girlfriend ho ya na ho, usse kisi ko bhi kya problem hai. Har cheez aise nahi hoti hai jo insaan ko discuss karni padti hai sabke saath (Whether I have a girlfriend or not, why should anyone have a problem with it? It is not necessary to discuss everything with everyone). I have my own life, it is not important that I tell the world about it,” he said.

Pratik went on to say that he never badmouthed anyone. “In fact, after Bigg Boss OTT, I took the blame on myself for whatever happened when some fans were bashing certain people. Theek hai yaar, main kya bolun? Jiske dil mein jo bhi aata hai, usko bolne do (It’s okay, what do I say? People can say whatever they feel like). I will just stick to myself and appreciate all the love that I am getting. People who hate me, God bless them. That’s all,” he said.