The 'Spare Me' Gal

SPARE ME – The two words India won’t forget for a very long time. Pooja Misrra, the recent Bigg Boss girl, who was tormented by the housemates on the show, ganged up against and verbally abused, still stands tall. For people who didn’t follow the show from the beginning and only managed to see a few dramatic outbursts, Misrra appears unfair, loud and scary. But dig beneath the service and you’ll find that the real Pooja Misrra is an inspiration to the youth of today.
Born and brought up in South Mumbai, Pooja moved back to Mumbai after completing her junior school in the UK. Pooja began her TV stint with a talk-show Jab We Talk on B4U, where she came up with solutions for relationship problems. Two years ago, she took part in the reality television show Big Switch on UTV Bindass.
Being bullied in school, college, at the workplace or for that matter, anytime in life, is something most people have gone through. But how many have had the courage and strength to stand up to such bullies? It’s easy to play the victim and feel sorry for oneself. But the ‘Spare Me’ gal has proved that a single girl is not helpless and when pushed in the corner, can fight back to save her dignity and honor.

Who is Pooja Misrra and what does she stand for?
Pooja Misrra stands for will power, honesty and soft strength. I still remember when the whole house (Bigg Boss house) ganged up against me, I still held my ground without getting feeble or waiting for someone to validate or side me as I have always been a confident girl and can stand up for myself. I believe that 50 million can echo a lie and it does not become the truth; it takes just one person to speak the truth, and as history is a witness, truth does not need validation! Everyone sooner or later realises the truth.

How do you get the strength to deal with bullies?
I simply believe in myself and therefore manage to find my way through attention seeking bullies who have a false notion about themselves that they are all high and mighty. I, on the other hand, am totally humble, level headed and brave and find it amusing when people mistake kindness for my weakness. In retrospect, I might have not won Bigg Boss but I won the hearts of millions as till this day, people walk up to me, hug me and tell me ‘you are absolutely not what they made you out to be on the show and we know that it was the game of TRPs.’

There are people who are constantly criticising and putting you down. What would you say to these people?
If the voice of self-belief inside is loud enough, the voices from the outside eventually fade off. I believe that haters have nothing better to do and are in fact, confused admirers. Haters are like sand paper – they keep scrubbing you as a result of which you get more and more polished, and at the end of it all, they are useless. Therefore, I would like to thank my detractors to motivate me to reach higher in my life. I have always believed that greater the opposition, bigger the success.

What is the secret of your success?
Positive thinking.

What is your take on violence?
I think it’s futile as the biggest battles are not won by weapons but by the mind.
Make love not war. Therefore, when a small nudge was blown out of proportion and a molehill was made into a castle on Bigg Boss, I found it most amusing, as I am the most peaceful soul around.

What are your plans for the future?
I have a handful of things happening as I can write, dance, fashion design, act, do stand up comedy, model and even anchor. But it is movies in the near future – my upcoming movie Baja Baja Dunga has me dancing to the climax item song and is being directed by Chandra Don Barot and produced by Padamshree winner Anup Jalota, which only adds to the fun.

How different is Pooja in Bigg Boss from the real-life Pooja?
Bigg boss was a one track character which was sensationalised for TRPs. My temper was highlighted and the other positive traits subdued or not shown at all. That does not make me into the person I was made out to be, as I am only responsible for what I say, not for what you or the audience understands. I think the audience are smart enough to realise that. The real Pooja Misrra is soft, feminine and all woman, yet strong and brave.

A message for the youth of today?
I would like to tell them to be strong, fearless and to always follow their dreams! It’s important to keep your eyes on the stars but your feet firmly on the ground.

The Bigg Boss Incident
Pooja Misrra was singled out for no reason and her bag was taken away by one of the contestants soon after she walked into the house. Being upset, Pooja didn’t interact much with the other contestants and a series of misunderstandings led Pooja to be ostracised and picked on. Finally, her feelings of frustration of being treated badly and being ganged up against got the better of her and she reacted angrily towards the other contestants, which eventually got her out of the show. However, after a few weeks, realising that removing Pooja from the house was the worst possible mistake for the show, the organisers got her back in. Pooja’s second inning on the show showed a softer side to the often misunderstood girl. Throughout the show, Pooja used the words ‘spare me’ which became a national sensation and to date are the most popular words among the youth.

Volume 2 Issue 1