“I was very happy when I was selected to appear on the show as I love Meera in reality. On May 4, I was taken to a house where I was told I would have to live for three months. Thirteen other young men from different parts of Pakistan were also there. On May 19, the programme began during which we were assigned different tasks and every week one boy was eliminated. I worked really hard because I actually want to marry Meera and I was even the winner in one competition.”
Baloch went on to say that his winning was what made the problems start. “The boy who had won the first competition was sent for dinner with Meera, but I was only sent for grooming and styling – for which I was made to pay Rs1,000! I was the most educated contestant on the show but I was hardly given any camera time, and I would be harassed on the programme so that I could be kicked off.”
“However, I did not despair because jahan sachi mohabbat hoti hai, wahan pyaar key dushman bhi hotey hain [where there is true love, there are also enemies of true love]. I dealt with all of these things for Meera.”
Baloch added that the actor began to take interest in him as well. When asked how he knew this, he said that Meera used to ask him how he was when they met and he could “see it in her eyes”.
The ex-contestant said that things got out of hand when Meera asked people which contestant they thought was sincere. “People told Meera that ‘Najeeb Baloch is perfect for you. Najeeb Baloch actually loves you and he is genuine’. When the producer found out about this, he became my enemy from that day.”
Baloch said that the producer told him that the show would be a bigger hit if Baloch was made out to be a thief and forced out of the show, but Baloch said he refused to do this because “I am representing the people of Balochistan and cannot do this to them”.
“The producer got very angry and said ‘You’re an ordinary actor, not Amitabh Bachchan’, and began abusing me. He said he would have me kicked off and I should just leave on my own so that I can later get employment with the network.”
Baloch ended the conference saying, “I would like to reinforce that I love Meera and I want to marry her. All the other contestants left the show when they were eliminated; but I was kicked off for other reasons.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2011.