Trigger warning: Mentions of self-harm and violence
A recent promo video of Bigg Boss 15 showing contestant Afsana Khan trying to physically harm herself has created a furore on social media. According to reports, the singer has been evicted from the show for getting into a massive physical fight with fellow contestant Shamita Shetty during the ‘VIP access’ task.
Afsana Khan gets evicted from ‘Bigg Boss’
The incident happened after she felt betrayed by her friends Umar Riaz and Karan Kundrra who didn’t give her access to the VIP room. Reportedly, the singer has been eliminated from the show for inflicting self-harm and getting violent with Shamita.
However, this isn’t the first time that Afsana got violent and she has suffered from panic attacks on the show previously as well. The recent incident has initiated a debate on mental health among netizens.
While a few are mocking her emotional breakdown and calling her a “psycho”, a derogatory term used to belittle people suffering from mental health issues, others are raising concerns about the show’s insensitive treatment towards a contestant’s vulnerabilities by trying to sensationalise it.
Netizens slam makers for sensationalising mental health
Even though the promo isn’t available on social media any more, it hasn’t stopped netizens from talking about how deeply insensitive the show and the makers are. Here are some of their reactions:
Credit: @Poojasingh_1230, Twitter
Credit: @Prasad_C_, , Twitter
Credit: @bbfan1013, Twitter
Credit: @JaYaarYahanSe, Twitter
Ex-Bigg Boss Season 13 contestant Rashami Desai took to Twitter to share her disappointment with people mocking and judging someone’s mental state without knowing what the person might be going through.
Credit: @TheRashamiDesai, Twitter
The show not only triggers viewers but contestants too
In the past, popular contestant and Bigg Boss 14 winner Rubina Dilaik had opened up about how the show wrecks the mental health and sanity of inmates, and that it takes time to get over the emotional trauma they go through.
Many mental health experts have come forward and shared their views on how the show feeds voyeuristic pleasures and normalises toxic traits which has a severe impact on the mental health of viewers as well. The recent incident of the show trying to cash in on human vulnerabilities just adds to the misery of lack of mental health awareness.
Lead Image Credit: Bigg Boss, Endemol Shine India
