The Traitors: Why Raj Kundra So Desperately Wants To Be A Khalnayak (But In Vain)
New Delhi:
Nayak nahin, khalnayak hoon main - businessman Raj Kundra wrote this "script" for himself in Prime Video's ongoing reality show The Traitors. His wish, alas, wasn't fulfilled.
He was the first contestant to be evicted from the 10-episode series, which premiered on the streamer on June 12. His last words on the show before bidding goodbye to fellow contestants were, "I feel my wife is right. She says that I cannot lie to save my life, it's not who I am."
Who is Raj Kundra? (In Real Life)
The Traitors has seemed to put the spotlight on Raj Kundra's identity crisis more than ever before. He is a business tycoon, also actor Shilpa Shetty's husband, who hit the headlines in 2021 for all the wrong reasons. A doting husband, who always accompanied his wife at parties and film screenings, hid his face under innovative masks for years. Bidding adieu to the face masks was an event in itself back in 2023 (more on that later).
During his two-episode stay on the show, Raj Kundra said he wanted to be a khalnayak, a villain. After all, series host Karan Johar entrusted him with the tag of a "traitor". "Traitor" and " khalnayak" are not synonymous, but Raj Kundra wanted to be a khalnayak to prove himself a worthy traitor (of course, we are talking about him on the show).
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A post shared by Raj Kundra (@onlyrajkundra)
Alas.
During a one-on-one conversation with Raj Kundra, when Karan Johar asked him if he could tell lies with a straight face, the former admitted, "I am not a good liar, honestly I am not." Ouch.
Nonetheless, Raj Kundra wanted to be a khalnayak. He has an explanation for this too. After coming out of the show, Raj Kundra told ETimes, "I've been called many names, so I thought - why not own the tag on my terms? But I wasn't there to be a dark, brooding villain."
"I wanted to be cheeky, unpredictable, and maybe even oddly likeable. It was my way of saying: I've been judged without people knowing the full story. Now, here's a version of me that's scripted by me," he added.
Raj Kundra wanted to be a "cheeky, unpredicatable" sort of villain, but he ended up being predictable and over the top (like most of the other contestants in the show). Other contestants might get the benefit of the doubt, but Raj Kundra would be "judged" as he had chosen a game show titled The Traitors to show his "happy-go-lucky" side.
What Happened In Croatia Didn't Stay In Croatia
Raj Kundra has worked hard to prove his villain arc. The Traitors was his recent bait. But it didn't pay off.
Earlier this month, an Instagrammer shared a video of Shilpa Shetty celebrating her 50th birthday in Croatia with her family. The video recorded Shilpa Shetty's voice, not Raj Kundra's.
"This incident occurred today (9.06.2025) in Hvar Island, Croatia. A foreigner was eating her food, and they (Shilpa Shetty and team) were speaking loudly. The foreigner girl asked them to lower their volume; however, Raj Kundra (Shilpa Shetty's Husband) replied by saying, 'You don't know who we are.' I could not record that line on the video because it was very sudden," wrote the Instagrammer who shared the video.
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A post shared by Madhavan Batra (Maddy) (@maddythecricketer)
What followed was a clarification by Raj Kundra, explaining to Hindustan Times what actually happened in Croatia. But Raj paaji, we can't call you a "villain" as there's no recorded proof.
Raj Kundra And The Pornography Case
Raj Kundra was charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Indecent Representation of Women (Prevention) Act and Information Technology Act for allegedly distributing/ transmitting sexually explicit videos in July 2021. He was arrested by Mumbai Police. He was later granted bail in September 2021 by a metropolitan magistrate's court.
After his release from the detention centre, where he spent 63 days, Raj Kundra consciously hid his face under the garb of innovative face masks. He was spotted by the paparazzi in different parts of Mumbai, but never without a mask.
Raj Kundra And The Curious Case Of Face Masks
Raj Kundra turned a protection gear into a fashion statement. He didn't have any ill motive behind this venture. We believed him. But we were, surely, taken aback by the way he bid farewell to masks during the trailer launch of his film UT 69 (written by and also starring Raj Kundra) in 2023.
At the trailer launch of the film, Raj Kundra revealed why he began wearing the face masks. "I wore the mask out of pain. The media trial was painful. It was more painful than my legal trial that's going on. I don't blame you (addressing media) as you were doing your work. But it was so painful that I wanted to cover up. I don't want to be spotted. I don't want to get clicked," Raj Kundra told reporters back then.
So, Raj Kundra used media to criticise the media. A smart move indeed.
Two days after the trailer launch of UT 69, which is a take on Raj Kundra's 63 days' stay at the detention centre, the business tycoon shared a cryptic post on X:
"We have separated and kindly request you to give us time during this difficult period."
After the Internet assumed that everything was not well between Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty after his post went viral, he played a masterstroke.
"Farewell Masks...it's time to separate now! Thank you for keeping me protected over the last two years. Onto the next phase of my journey #UT69," he shared in a new X post.
His envious collection of facemasks of different sizes and shapes would need another film (obviously produced by him) to uphold the different sides of the truth.
Farewell Masks …it's time to separate now! Thank you for keeping me protected over the last two years. Onto the next phase of my journey #UT69 🙏🎭🥹 🧿😇❤️ pic.twitter.com/svhiGS8aHt
— Raj Kundra (@onlyrajkundra) October 20, 2023
Raj Kundra's Tryst With Innocence
It's not easy to be a celebrity in India. It's not at all easy to be a villain, at least for Raj Kundra. Truth has more than one narrative and we are not in a position to pass comments on someone who was embroiled in a legal battle.
But after his being granted bail from the pornography case, Raj Kundra has been trying to prove his innocence - some times in a innocent way; at times, in a not-so-innocent way.
He tried scripting a "villainous" character for himself in a game show and failed at it miserably. He's desperate to show his real innocent self to a larger audience. But does an innocent person choose a game of deception to paint his image white? We'll let you mull over it.
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