Splitsville Sexual Favours controversy | Sakshi Pradhan
‘Splitsville’, the popular reality shows on channel MTV is now mired in controversy. A former contestant from the show’s series two, Swagata G Shah, alleges that the show is rigged and requires contestants to please the big players in order to be ‘voted in’ and get sufficient coverage.Shah said to a tabloid, “After the show was over, we had a pool-side party. After almost everyone had left we saw Joanna Magee (one of the top contenders and a finalist) and Sakshi Pradhan (the show`s winner) in the pool with Hitesh (the show`s director) and a few other men from the production team. They stayed there till the next day. I also heard a room was booked for Joanna through Cafe Mambo, a disc at Goa`s Baga Beach, where Nikhil Chinappa performs. She stayed on in Goa even after the show had ended," said Swagata G Shah, one of the contestants of Splitsvilla 2.”
Interestingly, Swagata alleged former participants are being coaxed to sign a contract that forbids them from revealing details about the show to the media.
“I have been receiving calls every day, asking me to sign it,” said Swagata.
Reportedly, Hitesh, who works with the production house Colosseum, which produced Splitsvilla 2 for MTV, abused his position to back Joanna in return for sexual favours. "When I re-entered the show, Joanna boasted she would win it.
“During this conversation, Hitesh pulled me out and said, `You get out of Splitsvilla right now. I just want this chick [sic] out of the premises. You can`t speak anything against Joanna because Joanna se mujhe kaam hai. Tumse mujhe koi kaam nahi hai (Joanna is of use to me, you are of no use).`
“If I had slept with him like Joanna did, I wouldn`t have been voted out so early and given so little footage,” claimed Swagata.
When contacted, an unflustered Hitesh refused to comment. “I am not authorised to say anything,” Hitesh said.
Creative director of the show Rajeev Laxman, who is also from Colosseum, said, “It`s all speculation. We don`t have to explain ourselves to tabloids. I don`t know whether MTV was aware. As far as sexual favours go, I don`t think anyone is aware. I don`t need to respond to these stupid allegations from tabloids.”
Winner Shakshi backed the show saying, “I faced two rounds of auditions and made a wild card entry. Nothing was fixed. It was a reality show and the people behind it were professionals. They were nice and friendly towards us. I don`t want to comment on what others have alleged.”
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