Anup Jalota Alleges Bigg Boss 12 Scripted Romance With Jasleen Matharu: 'We Barely Knew Each Other'

News18

20-07-2025

Anup Jalota opens up about the Bigg Boss 12 controversy, claiming he was misrepresented as romantically involved with Jasleen Matharu.
When veteran singer Anup Jalota entered the Bigg Boss 12 house with Jasleen Matharu in 2018, viewers were left stunned. The duo presented themselves as a romantic couple despite their considerable age gap, causing a stir across social media and television circuits. However, Jalota now reveals that the portrayal was far from the truth and claims he was blindsided by the narrative.
In a candid conversation with The Lallantop, Jalota revisited the chaos that followed their infamous reality show entry. 'If you listen to her singing, she's very talented," he said, recalling how Jasleen had initially come to him for singing lessons — only five or six times. 'She once told me she received an offer to participate in Bigg Boss, and I told her it was a great opportunity. She used to dance in groups and sing at the time."
Jalota disclosed that he had initially declined to be part of the reality show, but it was Jasleen's father who eventually convinced him. 'There was a condition that you could only enter as a unique pair. I told her to take Sukhwinder ji, but she said he had declined. Even I refused at first — I had too many concerts. Her father came and convinced me. I finally agreed on one condition: we'd go as guru and shishya (teacher and student). She agreed."
But when the pair entered the Bigg Boss stage, Jalota was caught completely off-guard. 'I met Salman Khan and introduced her as my student. She sang beautifully. But when Salman asked her if she was my shishya, she suddenly said we had been in a relationship for three years. I thought, 'Yeh kya hogaya? Yeh toh nahi hua tha.' We didn't even know each other that well."
Jalota believes the move may have been orchestrated by the makers of the show. 'I was shocked, but I figured this might be part of the game. Someone must have told her to say that — maybe even the Bigg Boss team. I never confronted her. I understood that some game was being played behind the scenes, and maybe she stood to gain from it — and she did," he said.
After exiting the house, Jalota wasted no time in addressing the whirlwind of speculation. 'When I came out after one and a half months, there was a storm outside. We were unaware of everything inside. A friend told me what was going on, and I told him not to worry — we'll clear it all up. When the truth is on your side, it's easy to put an end to rumours."
He added, 'I called a press conference at my home with Jasleen's father. We both sat down and told the media that we would be doing her kanyadaan (a ritual where the father gives away the bride) at her wedding. After that, there was no question left to ask."
Jalota emphasized that after Bigg Boss, he had no further contact with Jasleen. 'No one saw us at parties, watching films, going on vacations, or even performing on stage together. Everything slowly faded away. Even today, I haven't spoken to her since Bigg Boss. I only talk to her father sometimes."
The episode remains one of Bigg Boss' most memorable twists — but for Anup Jalota, it was simply a misunderstanding that spiraled out of control.
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