Emerging victorious...

Telly talk

As Kumkum, she ruled the Wadhwa household for many years with her reel presence.

As Juhi Parmar in the Bigg Boss house, the scene was no different as she emerged the winner.

Competing with a number of fellow celebrities, ranging from the often obnoxious Akashdeep Sehgal to the overtly temperamental Pooja Mishra for close to three months, Juhi’s victory was a revindication of the fact that you cannot ignore the underdog.

“The feeling of having won the title is yet to sink in. I never thought I would win. In fact, I used to think that I will be out of the house just after entering it. I was never the centre of attention inside the house and was always busy with household jobs.

I was doubtful whether the audience would notice me or not. But, I supported the truth from the beginning and everyone has been witness to that. I thank the audience for making me win this show,” said the actress, minutes after being crowned.

Bigg Boss, in many ways, was a comeback for the pretty Juhi Parmar. Ever since her marriage to television actor Sachin Shroff, she has been at the receiving end of the media. There have been numerous articles on her weight gain as well as her relationship with Shroff itself. What made matters worse was the fact that she stopped working for some time. “I wanted to be back in the limelight and show the world the real Juhi Parmar,” she said, emerging from the Big Boss house.

This reality show, more than anything else, is a war of nerves. How did she win the battle?

“Whenever I was weak, I used to think of my family. They gave me a lot of strength. At the end of the show, I feel proud that I could win this show in a dignified way.”

Everyone in the house seemed to be discussing ‘strategy’ during the competition and planning the steps required to stay longer in the show. What was Juhi Parmar’s strategy? “I feel no strategy works in this show. One has to be natural and honest to win the audience’s heart,” replied Juhi.

Was there any incident which she did not like in the show? “The incident between me and Amar was something that made me uncomfortable. It was blown out of proportion. But somehow, the way it was shown was very different.” What about Akashdeep? He seemed to have rubbed everyone the wrong way, except Juhi. “I share a fraternal relationship with him. He has a very good heart and is very honest. If I hadn’t won this, he would surely have been the winner,” Juhi remarks.

Juhi was also very fond of the two hosts — Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt. “Every week, I would wait for Sanjay Dutt’s compliments. He was really warm and yet, he would point out our mistakes clearly. I felt he was like big brother to me till the end. It continued even when I was backstage. And after I came up on stage, he patted my back, as if to say everything was fine,” she remembers fondly. What about Salman? “He was there on the show for a few weeks. Whenever he came, he was fun and energetic.”

So, what did Juhi Parmar learn from her stint inside the house? “One big lesson was that we need to take care of our relationships. We often take them for granted. I also learned that we have to be grounded in every situation,” reveals Juhi.

Now that she is out of the house, how will she unwind? “Firstly, I don’t have to wake up at 8 am in the morning upon hearing the alarm. I can have a peaceful night of sleep and I don’t have to do a task for the ‘luxury food’ anymore. I guess these are the first few things I would indulge in,” Juhi shares.

Romance also figures in Juhi’s unwinding plans, “I want to go on a second honeymoon! Ever since Sachin started his new show, he has been tied up. But, I am sure he will take some time out for me.”

Juhi has won Rs 1 crore as prize money. What does she plan to do with that? “I plan to secure my kids’ future and will also open an old age home in Jaipur,” says the bahu who is back in the limelight!