Zimbabwe captain sidelined for Sri Lanka series
Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine will not take part in the ongoing ODI series after sustaining a calf injury
Ashnoor Kaur is one of the contestants on Bigg Boss 19, hosted by Salman Khan. The actress has been a part of several popular shows, including Jhansi Ki Rani, Saath Nibhana Saathiya, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Patiala Babes, and Suman Indori. Before entering the Bigg Boss 19 house, Ashnoor, one of the youngest contestants this season, spoke to SCREEN about how ex-Bigg Boss contestant and co-star Hina Khan helped her prepare for the show. The actress also revealed that she had been approached for Bigg Boss earlier but felt she was ‘finally ready to take on the challenge’ this time.
Talking about joining the reality show, Ashnoor said, “I am looking forward to the show. I have been getting a call for the past few years, but I was very young, in college, or I was doing some show. This year, we thought let’s give it a try because it’s the show that is loved by so many people, and the audience gets to see the real you. I have been working since the tender age of 4 and a half, and I have always played characters, but this time I get to be Ashnoor, so I am excited.”
Sharing how her personality has been wrongly conceived by people, Ashnoor said, “A lot of people have a preconceived notion about me that I am a silent, quiet, sweet girl who doesn’t say no to anything. But that’s not the case. I am very opinionated and I voice out when I think something is wrong. If you are good to me, I am good to you. If you try to mess with me, then God save you.”
Ashnoor Kaur also spoke about how being one of the youngest contestants on the show could work against her. “My age can be an advantage as well as a disadvantage. By disadvantage, I mean that others might see my age as a reason to shut me down. But at the same time, it can also be my advantage because I’m not someone who stays quiet just out of respect for someone older, I will speak up when I believe they’re wrong. Age being on my side, I also have the chance of being the youngest winner in the history of Bigg Boss.”
Ashnoor Kaur on Hina Khan and Rohan Mehra’s reaction to her Bigg Boss 19 participation
Coincidentally, Ashnoor’s co-stars from Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai – Hina Khan, Rohan Mehra, and Karan Mehra have been a part of previous seasons of Bigg Boss. And this time, when their Naira (Ashnoor Kaur’s character in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai) was set to join the Salman Khan-hosted show, they wanted to be protective. Talking about how her co-stars reacted, Ashnoor shared, “Rohan bhaiyya was very protective. He told me to be myself and said, ‘If anyone tells you anything, I won’t spare that person.’ When Hina didi found out, she asked me to meet her so she could explain what needed to be done and how to go about it. I visited her house a few days ago, and we had a three-hour conversation where she guided me through everything. She has always been like an elder sister. She told me, ‘because I have seen you since you were a kid, I get a protective instinct like an elder sister.'”
Ashnoor also reiterated what Hina told her. “Hina didi told me to stay true to myself and own everything I do, even if it’s right or wrong. She told me, ‘Nobody is perfect, everyone has flaws, so if you make mistakes and you think they are right, stick to it even when everyone else says otherwise. If you think you really made a mistake, apologize and own it.’ A lot of people are fearful of looking wrong, which shouldn’t be the case.”
Ashnoor Kaur on her father being concerned about her Bigg Boss 19 stint
Ashnoor Kaur, being the only child and very close to her parents, shared that she won’t tolerate any insults directed at her family during the show. She also revealed that the makers had approached her parents directly to seek their approval for her participation. Sharing how she was cast in Bigg Boss 19, Ashnoor said, “I have been in the industry for 16 years, so the makers know me and the kind of person I am. Earlier, I was not ready for this challenge, but this time around, I considered it. We had a meeting, and they even met my parents because I told them my parents wouldn’t agree. (Laughs) It felt like a rishta was happening where they came to convince my parents.”
The actress added, “My mother was very excited, but dad had his concerns. He said that the narrative can be tweaked in any way the show requires, and it can lead to unnecessary drama. Another concern was that I’d be living in the house with all sorts of people, without any contact with my family. Being an only child, I’ve never stayed away from them for this long, so my father was naturally a little protective. However, we all eventually agreed that it would be good for me to give it a shot.”
