Alliance's Nikhil Chinapa reacts to 'image-conscious' tag: I care about integrity
After his eviction from Alliance, Nikhil Chinapa said he played openly and stood by his integrity. He also said Mini Mathur strengthened his game and hoped a woman would win the show.
Nikhil Chinapa was evicted from Alliance along with Delbar Arya on Sunday. In an exclusive chat with India Today, the former MTV VJ and reality show veteran spoke about why he never wanted to play from the shadows, his unbreakable friendship with Mini Mathur, being called image-conscious, and why he would love to see a woman lift the Alliance trophy.
Reacting to his 'mastermind' tag, Nikhil said he never really understood why people called him that. "But I have to ask, what kind of a mastermind plays so openly?," he questioned, before adding, "Masterminds are generally in the shadows, pulling strings behind the scenes. I was out there in the open, playing my game. That was always my plan."
Explaining why he approached the game the way he did, Nikhil admitted that building alliances would never come naturally to him. "I came to Alliance because it was unlike any reality show in India. My intention was never to play from the shadows. I know I'm an introvert. I don't make friends easily, so I wanted to go out there and play the game on the front foot," he shared.
When Kashish Kapoor entered the game, she accused Nikhil of being image-conscious. The TV veteran disagreed with the label, saying there was a huge difference between protecting an image and standing by one's principles. "Image-conscious is not a term I'd use for myself, but I do care deeply about integrity. I have built my career on being honest and upfront. The game may be about deception, but my moral compass still points in the same direction. I am not concerned about my image, but I do care about integrity," he said.
Nikhil also said there isn't a single thing he would change if he had to play the game all over again. "I knew that I think a lot, and I was honestly expecting to survive just two weeks. The fact that I survived four weeks is amazing. And I think Mini has a lot to do with it because she looked out for me," he said.
Nikhil added that the show has only strengthened his bond with Mini, a relationship that goes back to their MTV days. He said living under the same roof had brought their friendship into what he called a "permanent cement kind of space".
Recalling a memory from over two decades ago, he shared, "Twenty-four years ago, backstage at a World AIDS Day concert, Mini told us she was going to be a mom. I still remember the joy in that room. At the end of the concert, we were walking through the crowd when some guy reached across the barricade and tried to grab Mini. Something exploded in my head. In half a second, I was up on the barricades like Spider-Man because there was this overwhelming protective urge in me. Spending this time together with Mini, I've realised I still have that same protective instinct. Hanging out over tea has only brought us closer."
Nikhil also opened up about the controversial fans' comment task, which many believe became the turning point in his game. He maintained that the strategy wasn't his alone, and when it failed, the blame landed squarely on him. He also laughed off contestants celebrating after beating him in tasks, saying that was part and parcel of reality television.
Speaking about Kushal Tandon, Nikhil refused to call him the villain of Alliance, but admitted people's reactions towards him were a consequence of his own behaviour. "I don't think he needs to be called the villain of the show. But at the same time, I think the reaction that people have towards him is based on his actions. It's an action-reaction scenario. If he's behaved a certain way... it's going to cause a reaction," he said.
Asked who he wants to see winning the show, Nikhil said he would want "any girl" to lift the trophy, while taking a swipe at Kushal's comments about being the sole person taking his family's responsibilities. "He also has a sister, who I am sure is equally capable to take care of the family. So I would love it if a girl won the show. I would love for Mini to win. Girls, more often than not, do more for their families than boys. So people like Kushal need to change their mindset," he concluded.
Hosted by Kunal Kemmu, Alliance streams on Prime Video.
Nikhil Chinapa was evicted from Alliance along with Delbar Arya on Sunday. In an exclusive chat with India Today, the former MTV VJ and reality show veteran spoke about why he never wanted to play from the shadows, his unbreakable friendship with Mini Mathur, being called image-conscious, and why he would love to see a woman lift the Alliance trophy.
Reacting to his 'mastermind' tag, Nikhil said he never really understood why people called him that. "But I have to ask, what kind of a mastermind plays so openly?," he questioned, before adding, "Masterminds are generally in the shadows, pulling strings behind the scenes. I was out there in the open, playing my game. That was always my plan."
Explaining why he approached the game the way he did, Nikhil admitted that building alliances would never come naturally to him. "I came to Alliance because it was unlike any reality show in India. My intention was never to play from the shadows. I know I'm an introvert. I don't make friends easily, so I wanted to go out there and play the game on the front foot," he shared.
When Kashish Kapoor entered the game, she accused Nikhil of being image-conscious. The TV veteran disagreed with the label, saying there was a huge difference between protecting an image and standing by one's principles. "Image-conscious is not a term I'd use for myself, but I do care deeply about integrity. I have built my career on being honest and upfront. The game may be about deception, but my moral compass still points in the same direction. I am not concerned about my image, but I do care about integrity," he said.
Nikhil also said there isn't a single thing he would change if he had to play the game all over again. "I knew that I think a lot, and I was honestly expecting to survive just two weeks. The fact that I survived four weeks is amazing. And I think Mini has a lot to do with it because she looked out for me," he said.
Nikhil added that the show has only strengthened his bond with Mini, a relationship that goes back to their MTV days. He said living under the same roof had brought their friendship into what he called a "permanent cement kind of space".
Recalling a memory from over two decades ago, he shared, "Twenty-four years ago, backstage at a World AIDS Day concert, Mini told us she was going to be a mom. I still remember the joy in that room. At the end of the concert, we were walking through the crowd when some guy reached across the barricade and tried to grab Mini. Something exploded in my head. In half a second, I was up on the barricades like Spider-Man because there was this overwhelming protective urge in me. Spending this time together with Mini, I've realised I still have that same protective instinct. Hanging out over tea has only brought us closer."
Nikhil also opened up about the controversial fans' comment task, which many believe became the turning point in his game. He maintained that the strategy wasn't his alone, and when it failed, the blame landed squarely on him. He also laughed off contestants celebrating after beating him in tasks, saying that was part and parcel of reality television.
Speaking about Kushal Tandon, Nikhil refused to call him the villain of Alliance, but admitted people's reactions towards him were a consequence of his own behaviour. "I don't think he needs to be called the villain of the show. But at the same time, I think the reaction that people have towards him is based on his actions. It's an action-reaction scenario. If he's behaved a certain way... it's going to cause a reaction," he said.
Asked who he wants to see winning the show, Nikhil said he would want "any girl" to lift the trophy, while taking a swipe at Kushal's comments about being the sole person taking his family's responsibilities. "He also has a sister, who I am sure is equally capable to take care of the family. So I would love it if a girl won the show. I would love for Mini to win. Girls, more often than not, do more for their families than boys. So people like Kushal need to change their mindset," he concluded.
Hosted by Kunal Kemmu, Alliance streams on Prime Video.
Nikhil Chinapa was evicted from Alliance along with Delbar Arya on Sunday. In an exclusive chat with India Today, the former MTV VJ and reality show veteran spoke about why he never wanted to play from the shadows, his unbreakable friendship with Mini Mathur, being called image-conscious, and why he would love to see a woman lift the Alliance trophy.
Reacting to his 'mastermind' tag, Nikhil said he never really understood why people called him that. "But I have to ask, what kind of a mastermind plays so openly?," he questioned, before adding, "Masterminds are generally in the shadows, pulling strings behind the scenes. I was out there in the open, playing my game. That was always my plan."
Explaining why he approached the game the way he did, Nikhil admitted that building alliances would never come naturally to him. "I came to Alliance because it was unlike any reality show in India. My intention was never to play from the shadows. I know I'm an introvert. I don't make friends easily, so I wanted to go out there and play the game on the front foot," he shared.
When Kashish Kapoor entered the game, she accused Nikhil of being image-conscious. The TV veteran disagreed with the label, saying there was a huge difference between protecting an image and standing by one's principles. "Image-conscious is not a term I'd use for myself, but I do care deeply about integrity. I have built my career on being honest and upfront. The game may be about deception, but my moral compass still points in the same direction. I am not concerned about my image, but I do care about integrity," he said.
Nikhil also said there isn't a single thing he would change if he had to play the game all over again. "I knew that I think a lot, and I was honestly expecting to survive just two weeks. The fact that I survived four weeks is amazing. And I think Mini has a lot to do with it because she looked out for me," he said.
Nikhil added that the show has only strengthened his bond with Mini, a relationship that goes back to their MTV days. He said living under the same roof had brought their friendship into what he called a "permanent cement kind of space".
Recalling a memory from over two decades ago, he shared, "Twenty-four years ago, backstage at a World AIDS Day concert, Mini told us she was going to be a mom. I still remember the joy in that room. At the end of the concert, we were walking through the crowd when some guy reached across the barricade and tried to grab Mini. Something exploded in my head. In half a second, I was up on the barricades like Spider-Man because there was this overwhelming protective urge in me. Spending this time together with Mini, I've realised I still have that same protective instinct. Hanging out over tea has only brought us closer."
Nikhil also opened up about the controversial fans' comment task, which many believe became the turning point in his game. He maintained that the strategy wasn't his alone, and when it failed, the blame landed squarely on him. He also laughed off contestants celebrating after beating him in tasks, saying that was part and parcel of reality television.
Speaking about Kushal Tandon, Nikhil refused to call him the villain of Alliance, but admitted people's reactions towards him were a consequence of his own behaviour. "I don't think he needs to be called the villain of the show. But at the same time, I think the reaction that people have towards him is based on his actions. It's an action-reaction scenario. If he's behaved a certain way... it's going to cause a reaction," he said.
Asked who he wants to see winning the show, Nikhil said he would want "any girl" to lift the trophy, while taking a swipe at Kushal's comments about being the sole person taking his family's responsibilities. "He also has a sister, who I am sure is equally capable to take care of the family. So I would love it if a girl won the show. I would love for Mini to win. Girls, more often than not, do more for their families than boys. So people like Kushal need to change their mindset," he concluded.
Hosted by Kunal Kemmu, Alliance streams on Prime Video.
