Purav Jha on The Traitors: Entered as a Villain, Emerged a Hero
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Ever since Karan Johar's The Traitors India premiered on Prime Video, Purav Jha has been circulating on social media, and his departure from the program saddened fans because they all hoped he would win. His role as one of the key participants that kept The Traitors India interesting and worth seeing has earned him a lot of affection from the audience. We had a private conversation with Purav now that The Traitors India has concluded, with Uorfi Javed and Nikita Luther as the winners. He covered every aspect of the survival game program, including the behind-the-scenes and more.
From an interview with Purav Jha...
Overall, what was the experience of The Traitors India?
"Honestly, it was like an emotional rollercoaster. I experienced both highs and lows. Sometimes I feel like a murderer, a loser, a villain, an innocent person, or I get very emotional. However, unlike other reality shows, The Traitors India was not just about drama. It was all about acting, strategy, and mission. Thus, I had a nice time and a mixed experience all around.
You were using heart and strategy. How did you manage to do both?
"I'm not kidding—it's much harder to lie while staring someone in the eye than it is to lie while looking at the camera. I believe I have a natural ability for lying face to face, and I have done that task exceptionally well. However, my friends, family, and girlfriend are telling me that they can't trust me anymore because I might be a traitor in real life (laughs). It was difficult because I formed strong relationships with some of the contestants, who were placing their trust in me without reservation. I am an emotional person and detest betraying others. I was aware from the very first day that I had to do something, but it wasn't until the sixth or seventh episode that I actually took action.
Then I understood that this wasn't enjoyable because there were only a handful of individuals, and everyone began watching one another and proclaiming, "I am not a traitor, I am an innocent." After the seventh episode, things were difficult as betrayals and friendships grew more intense. But as you all saw, I was almost at the finale, so yeah, I am proud of myself (smiles)."
Your eviction broke the hearts of your admirers. What were your thoughts that day?
With an emotional smile, Purav said, "I honestly didn't know what that was." Let me inform you that 10 minutes prior to the Circle of Shaq, Harsh (Gujral) and I went to the bathroom, where there were no cameras, and we were discussing how we had finally made it to the stage after all of our efforts. I was so overjoyed that Harsh and me from Delhi would win the show, and Uorfi (Javed) had always been so supportive and trusting. I told Harsh Bhai that we would divide the prize money between the three of us because I didn't care about the money; what mattered to me was winning the show on that platform because I had worked so hard, and Harsh Bhai agreed with me. As a result, I have no idea how the table turned 5 to 10 minutes before the Circle of Shaq..
I noticed a lot of things and believed Uorfi had planned some tactics for the conclusion since two days ago. However, I exclaimed, "Damn," upon seeing it. Did you hear us? What kind of approach is that? The show was a civil war, and I felt so stupid when she just overheard us. But then I thought to myself, "Let it be." Someone just overheard the talk by mistake, even though you performed well. However, I was talking so softly that I couldn't figure out how she overheard me. However, Uorfi has keen hearing, so it's alright. I'm glad, though, that she didn't use any tricks to get me.
What do you think about Nikita Luther sharing The Traitors victory with Uorfi?
It's all fair. What exactly was her fault when people are claiming that she won it for no reason? You didn't grasp the game at all then, since folks couldn't get her during the performance. I clearly deserved it if I had won (laughs), but it's alright; it's all good. There is no reason for so much hatred since it was a conflict between the innocent and the traitors. However, the audience will also understand that Nikita shouldn't brag about employing a lot of tactics since she didn't (smiles).
When asked about how much adoration he received from his admirers, Purav replied, "I couldn't believe I came that far in the show. I saw 'why you were eliminated' messages when I opened my DMs. You deserved to win. I was moved by how much I am loved. This is the first time I've ever witnessed a flood in my DMs. I should have won, as evidenced by the passionate statements of the public. I honestly didn't give a damn about the cash. "For us, Purav Jha is the winner," read one of the emails I received, so I thought, "I went as a villain, but came out as a hero so let's go."
As a traitor, what was the hardest secret mission task?
"Whoever watched that episode, it was an absolute cinema for them," Purav stated when discussing the night of the murder, when he murdered Sufi by throwing his photo frame into the fountain. Sending me direct messages made people really astonished, but they also wanted to know about my state back then (chuckles). I didn't kill anyone; instead, I killed the individual who was wandering around with me and that Sufi. I assumed that no one would hear the sound of the picture frame being thrown into the fountain during the task, but the sound of the fountain was so loud that he couldn't hear. However, I found it to be really difficult at that time because me, Apoorva, and Sufi all wept that evening. Because I had no choice, I saw Sufi's picture frame in the area and said, I am really sorry, Sufi."
What kind of fellow traitor was Elnaaz Norouzi?
"She was really excellent." I was initially thrilled that we could easily win the game with Elnaaz. However, we eventually disagreed since Elnaaz was being extremely harsh, saying things like 'let's murder that person, let's hire someone else.' However, I didn't understand that, and in my opinion, the better it would be for us if we focused on playing like innocents. The actual game is that nobody should suspect you of being a traitor, even if we just list names and killings in the secret tower. Therefore, Elnaaz was harsh as a traitor, and we used to dispute. I saw that she began to say my name in front of everyone, thus I came to the conclusion that either she would improve my fielding or I would improve hers..
I have placed her beneath the tree as well, she added. However, she put my name everywhere; I haven't done anything. She would have qualified for the finale if she had played well, but she didn't, in my opinion. It's jealousy because the frame throw scenario was genuinely absurd, and everyone lauded me for it, but she never once valued me. This is why reality TV shows give me trouble. Elnaaz received my apology for using her name when I left the program, but I had no alternative but to stand by my position. It was merely a game.
Are you going back to The Traitors for Season 2?
No, not really, to be honest. It was a traumatizing experience for me (laughs). Anyone who believes this game is a piece of cake is welcome to express their thoughts, but those who have actually played it know how we made it through the program. We were all overcome by emotion with one another, and everyone suffered trauma and panic attacks because we are Internet folks who live online and were disconnected from the Internet for those ten days. Nobody knew anything or what was going to happen to us the next day because the program was entirely unscripted. Thus, I won't participate in the second season, but those who will be will provide recommendations on what not to do, since I went through it but have two or three tactics that can help you succeed in the game.
