Actress and host Mini Mathur, who claimed the winner's trophy on the reality show 'Alliance', has opened up about her experience with co-contestant Kushal Tandon, saying she never once felt he was putting on an act for the cameras — even as he remained one of the show's most polarising figures.

Mini Mathur's Read on Kushal

'I think Kushal was simply being himself. I never felt he was performing for the cameras. In real life, he is quite direct and aggressive in the way he speaks,' Mini said. She was quick to add that she had no interest in judging him: 'That is simply his personality, and perhaps that is exactly what his fans appreciate. I am not here to judge him. I never entered the show to lecture anyone or become someone's therapist.'

Mini did acknowledge that she occasionally nudged him toward a softer approach. 'On several occasions, I told him that I felt he could tone down his aggression, but he believed his audience liked him exactly the way he was,' she said. She agreed that his unfiltered style isolated him from several housemates at different points in the competition.

What Mini Genuinely Respected

Despite the friction, Mini singled out Kushal Tandon's loyalty as the quality she admired most. 'The people he stood by in the very beginning, he continued to support until the end. Whether it was Sohail bhai, Reba, or me, he remained loyal throughout the journey,' she said.

The filmmaker Kabir Khan's wife went further: 'Even when we disagreed or argued, he never stopped supporting me. He respected me throughout the show, and because of that, I have nothing negative to say about Kushal Tandon.'

About the Show

'Alliance', hosted by actor Kunal Kemmu, began streaming on 26 June on Prime Video. The show launched with 16 contestants entering as paired allies, with shifting loyalties, strategic deception, and high-stakes gameplay testing every partnership across the season.

Notably, 'Alliance' is the first international adaptation of Talpa Studios' globally acclaimed Dutch format, originally created by John de Mol. The Hindi-language version is produced by Banijay Asia.

Context and Significance

Mini Mathur's win is significant in that she navigated a field of contestants who held strong reservations about Kushal Tandon — a dynamic that, she suggests, may have been misread as a weakness. Critics argue that polarising personalities on reality formats often carry an underestimated strategic advantage, as their consistency — however abrasive — reads as authenticity to audiences. Mini's candid assessment adds a nuanced counterpoint to the narrative that formed around Kushal during the show's run.