Actor Delbar Arya on Alliance eviction: People were jealous, considered me a threat

Actor Delbar Arya believes her Alliance journey was cut short not because she was a weak contestant, but because the house saw her as one of the strongest players. Days after being evicted from the reality show, Delbar, in an exclusive conversation with India Today, called her elimination “very unfair”, claimed jealousy among contestants led to her exit, and spoke candidly about her equations with fellow contestants.

Reflecting on her eviction, Delbar said she never expected to be voted out at that stage of the competition. She mentioned that because others considered her a threat, she became an easy target. “It is very unfair because I think I was one of the strongest players. But of course, I never expected this betrayal at the last minute. I know why it happened because I was a threat to all of them. They got a chance to evict me, and so they did,” she said.

Known as one of the strongest performers in physical tasks, Delbar admitted that while she earned respect as a competitor, she perhaps failed to build the kind of alliances that could have protected her when the game turned political.

Why Delbar failed to build strong alliances

The actor said, “Probably because I was very neutral with everyone. I came to play the show, not to make relationships. Making alliances is one thing, and building emotional relationships is another. My equation was good with everyone, but I didn’t have one strong alliance backing me. There was a lot of jealousy in the headquarters. It was very evident that they wanted me out.”

When asked if anyone in the house genuinely stood by her, Delbar had a straightforward response: “Nobody. I was not on anyone’s priority list. Except for one person, that too Mini Mathur. Her first priority was Nikhil sir, and then she would always say, after him, it’s you. But otherwise, I wasn’t anyone’s priority, and I knew that.”

How Aly Goni's entry changed the game

Delbar also believes wildcard contestant Aly Goni’s entry significantly altered the dynamics inside the house, particularly affecting his cousin Arsalan Goni’s game. “After Aly’s entry, the dynamics changed. Arsalan changed a lot. It was like, ‘My brother has come, now no one can stop me. We both will go to the finals.’ That feeling was very evident, and everyone knew this,” she said.

Delbar further accused Arsalan of rarely taking ownership of his moves. She said, “Arsalan has never played on the front foot. He has always played with a gun on someone’s shoulder. That has always been his game plan.”

Her equation with other contestants

While, on one hand, she had complaints about Arsalan, Delbar saw his arch-nemesis, Kushal Tandon, in a different light. However, the actor said she consciously maintained some distance despite there being mutual respect. “When someone behaves well with me, I also behave well with them. Kushal never misbehaved with me. But I knew if we became very close, one day I would burst and we would have a very dirty fight. Sometimes he gets very loud and speaks without thinking. I didn’t want to deal with that, so I maintained some distance.”

She also addressed the much-discussed confrontation involving Vanshaj and Kushal, saying Kushal’s reaction disappointed her. “I didn’t like the way Kushal reacted and got a little physical. I was very angry that day and gave him space. But later, when I saw everyone cornering him, I found it inhuman. We were living in the same place. So I went to him and said, ‘Whatever happened was wrong, but I’m there for you if you want to talk’,” she shared.

Delbar also admitted that she initially welcomed the twist around Vanshaj’s re-entry but feels he has not made much of an impact since returning to the competition. The actor said, “At first, I thought he deserved to come back because he is a strong player. Eliminating him after just one week felt unfair. But now that he has re-entered, I don’t think he’s contributing much. I feel the Kushal issue was the main topic that helped him shine. After that, I don’t understand what he’s doing.”

We also got her talking about Rivva Kishan, with whom she shared an alliance. Rivva’s decision to evict Dolly Javed earned her the tag of a mastermind, but Delbar claimed she was merely following orders. “Rivva didn’t have a game plan of her own. She was basically following Kushal’s footsteps. Whatever Kushal said, she followed. She used to make big statements, but there was nothing behind them,” she said.

Highlight and regret of her Alliance journey

Looking back at her own journey, Delbar described leading the Hunters alliance from the bottom to the top and winning the dual challenge as the defining moments of her stint on the show. “My highlight was when I got Hunters from the bottom to number one. When I won the dual challenge, everyone realised a beast had come,” the actor said, adding that her final knockout challenge with the Legends alliance remains her biggest regret.

Asked who is currently playing the smartest game inside the house, Delbar picked Mini. She shared that the former VJ may not be the strongest contestant, but she is definitely the smartest. As for who she wants to see lifting the Alliance trophy, Delbar made it clear that she is rooting for the women. “I want a female contestant to win. I’ll be the happiest if Mini or Ruhee wins,” she concluded.

Apart from Delbar, Nikhil Chinapa was also evicted from Alliance this weekend.