Mumbai: Actor Rhiya Ahir has addressed the buzz surrounding her recent viral police van stunt, which sparked speculation that the incident was a planned publicity move ahead of ‘Bigg Boss 20’.
The actor has now revealed what actually happened and clarified whether the stunt was connected to the reality show.
“If I had to do this, I would have done it a long time ago,” she said.
Rhiya highlighted the physical and emotional toll the incident took on her, adding that she sees little point in trying to convince those who have already made up their minds about what they want to believe.
“People who are bound, who are adamant on misunderstanding you, you can never prove yourself to them. So, I don’t want to spend my whole life proving them,” she said.
For Rhiya, the allegation is particularly difficult to deal with as she never expected the protest moment to go viral in the first place.
“Never, in my wildest dreams, saw it going viral. I just knew I had to take a stand against what was really happening,” she said.
Looking back on the days that followed, Rhiya recalled being on “autopilot” as she navigated the sudden attention while privately dealing with its emotional aftermath.
“The first five days, I couldn’t sleep. I was suffering from insomnia. I had dry nostrils, blood clots. I was nauseous in the mornings. It was a shock for my nervous system, right? That this has happened,” she shared.
She added, “During the day, I could do interviews because I’m used to cameras, but at night my body would get stuck.”
Questioning the claim that the entire episode was orchestrated, she said, “Will people say that I planned the aftermath too? That this was also scripted? I had told my body that I will stop the van, and I will send the police there. Come on, make it make sense.”
Recalling when reports of her participation in Bigg Boss first surfaced on social media, Rhiya said she was on holiday and scrolling through her phone when she came across comments accusing her of staging the protest episode for publicity.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, what has happened?’ And then they were like, ‘She has only done the whole thing for publicity.’ I was like, ‘Oh, people are this jobless in life. What is wrong with them?’” she said.
Interestingly, Rhiya was initially uncertain about joining Bigg Boss 20. Having watched the reality show since childhood, she was curious about experiencing it herself but also questioned whether it was the right choice for her.
“We’ve seen Bigg Boss since childhood. I have always thought, if I go, how will I be inside? But initially, I was like, this is not for me because little girls look up to me. I felt responsible towards them,” Rhiya shared.
A conversation with her father eventually prompted her to reconsider the decision.
“I spoke to my dad and he was like, ‘Let’s talk to the channel. There’s no harm in it. Just know what’s happening.’ They told me how I react is up to me. Nobody is going to force me to fight or be angry. They will put me in situations where my limits will be tested. But I love challenges,” she said.
Ultimately, Rhiya says her decision to join Bigg Boss is not about answering her critics or proving the trolls wrong. Instead, she sees the show as a fresh challenge and an opportunity for viewers to get to know the person beyond the viral protest moment.
“I am a person of my heart. Like, I lead with my heart, not my brain. I think what took me there to the protest was my heart,” she said.
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