HYDERABAD: Reality shows are often ‘fun’, ‘glamourous’, and ‘entertaining’. But for some contestants, reality shows present the stark realities of life, toughening them up for good. And Telugu actress Tejaswi Madivada couldn’t agree more. Recently seen on Reality Ranis of the Jungle, which is streaming on Warner Bros Discovery+, the ‘Fearless Queen’ opens up to CE about how the show changed her life.
“This is one of the most extreme things that I have done in my life. As a little girl, I wanted to run away from home, go to some mountain, build something and live alone. And recently, I was in a phase in my life where I’d wonder if I could survive for the rest of my life in a jungle. And during this time, Reality Ranis of the Jungle was offered to me. I think it made me realise I can survive anywhere in the world,” shares Tejaswi.
Challenges were aplenty on the show but Tejaswi overcame them with poise and determination. She expresses, “I am actually not a fan of meat, so dealing with meat was my biggest fear before taking part in the show. But the first thing I did on this show was eat a raw goat, its eyeballs and its brains. When you think you’re scared of doing something, go and do it one fine day. It was empowering!”
The reality show had what was called a ‘rich side’ and a ‘poor side’, with Tejaswi being relegated to the latter. “I did not get any nutrition, food, sleep, and rest but had responsibilities to complete on the show. It was mentally, physically and spiritually draining. There was a time during the show where sleep deprivation had taken over and I started seeing the jungle move,” informs the actress, adding that it was nevertheless a great experience to lose one’s mind and find it again.
The actress, who was part of Big Boss and Khatron Ke Khiladi, says that Reality Ranis of the Jungle was different from other reality shows. “We need more shows like this to empower women, who are always in the shadows of parents, fathers or brothers, making it very hard for women to do things independently. Whenever I travel, I see a lot of women do adventurous things but in India, they don’t take such steps,” notes Tejaswi.
Tejaswi takes us down memory lane. “Twelve years ago, I ran away from a very strict home. And now, I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I am very happy with my work—it gives me the money I need to be free and live the life I want to. I can travel and have fun. I think I am living every Indian girl’s dream,” she expresses.
The actress says that she can currently be seen on Hotstar and Discovery+ and will be seen on Netflix by the end of the year. Tejaswi gives us a peek into what she is like in daily life, saying, “I am all about energy and when I have good energy, I spread good energy. So, I think my energy affects my surroundings and I consider myself to be very effective and powerful.”
Finally, she defines success in her words: “I define success as happiness. If you’re happy doing whatever you are doing, you are successful.”