>I did nothing immoral or kissed Ashmit in Big Boss: Veena Malik

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Pakistani actress Veena Malik, who was an inmate in season four of Indian TV reality show “Big Boss”, has said there was nothing immoral about her relationship with Bollywood actor Ashmit Patel or any other member of the house.

“All criticism of my action is baseless, because it is being hurled without knowing the facts,” Veena said in an interview with the Express TV Friday night.

“I belong to the entertainment industry and have not done anything that I have not done before,” she said.

The actress said she was not representing Pakistan on the show but only the entertainment industry.

“I know my limits. I did not wear any revealing clothes or kissed Ashmit or any co-star in the show,” she said. “I was there to promote love and a spirit of friendship and have no regrets in doing so.”

Responding to a question about her physical intimacy with Ashmit Patel during the show, Veena denied having any such contact.

“I was as close to Ashmit as any other inmate of the house,” she said.

“I performed namaz in the Big Boss house and even Ashmit prayed with me,” she revealed, and also produced a video to prove her point.

Meanwhile, Ashmit Patel, speaking on the phone from Mumbai during the interview, said that he had prayed because he found the movements in namaz “very much like yoga”.

“I don’t believe in religion as such but have respect for all religions and keep collecting information about them,” he said, adding that he found peace in performing namaz.

An Islamic cleric, Mufti Abdul Baqi, who also participated in the interview, said: “Veena had shamed all Pakistanis and Muslims with her immoral acts during the show.”

“I want to tell her that she has not done justice to her talents by doing something which she can’t watch while sitting with her brother or son in future,” he said, asking her to mend her ways.

Veena burst into tears during the interview and said she confronted hostility from other participants like Shweta and Manoj, but the media never supported her.

“It is to my credit that I spent 84 days in the house against all odds,” she argued.

Interview host Kamran Shahid concluded the show by saying that most of the Pakistani people think Veena should not have committed such acts, particularly because of the high sensitivity towards the neighbouring country.

Veena Malik had earlier courted controversy because of her alleged relationship with embattled fast bowler Mohammad Asif.

>Miss Pakistan World backs Veena Malik in row with mullahs

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Miss Pakistan World Annie Rupani Sunday came out in support of Pakistani actress Veena Malik who is under fire from the Muslim clergy in her country for getting too close with Indian actor Ashmit Patel during her participation in Bigg Boss-4 in India.

Slamming Mufti Abdul Qawi who said in a TV interview Friday that the actor has “insulted Pakistan and Islam” by her behaviour, the Houston-based Miss Pakistan World said the mullahs have no right to pass judgment on Veena Malik.

“I fully support Veena Malik for standing up for her beliefs and values. Though unfortunate, Veena Malik’s lashing out may be the only way to make her voice heard. Women are constantly being suppressed under the name of Islam, when in reality, Islam promotes the equality of men and women,” the 21-year-old Boston university student, who was crowned Miss Pakistan World in Toronto in August, told.

The Karachi-born beauty said: “Currently in Pakistan, a high percentage of women are abused, beaten, raped, and killed, yet men are not being held responsible for their actions. Pakistani women’s literacy rates are rising, leading to their outward participation in society.”

But clerics cannot stand these women, she said, who are becoming “strong-willed and passionate, and pushing the bounds of traditional norms. They are trying to project this as a religious issue, but in reality, it is only cultural.

Any woman has the right to choose her friends or husband, and Pakistan being a democratic country allows any one to marry regardless of religion. So Veena has not broken any laws or the constitution of Pakistan”.

She said the bold actress has shown that Pakistani women are “beginning to push past their status quo and the culture is starting to deal with consequences. But it will take some time. Veena Malik has shown India that Pakistani women are not weak and submissive”.

Calling Malik’s criticism a symptom of the radicalisation of Pakistani society, she said: “As the world is globalising and western ideas and beliefs are permeating all societies, some Muslims react by clinging tighter to their religious roots and condemning western ideas.

“Radicals are reacting out of fear and in defence of their religious and cultural background, but liberals like Veena should hold strong to their beliefs and help others to understand how Islam is compatible with these beliefs and ideas.”

Asked if Veena Malik should again go to Indian shows despite all the turmoil her Bigg Boss entry created, she said: “As I said, Veena did not commit any wrong actions on the show. Therefore, she should continue to proudly represent Pakistan on Big Boss.

She has changed the radical face of Pakistan in front of India. Not all Pakistanis are terrorists or support terrorist acts. And India knows that now.”

Added her mentor and Miss Pakistan World pageant pioneer Sonia Ahmed: “Veena Malik has now become an icon for progressive and modern Pakistan women. She is one of the very few women who have stood up to the clerics.”

>Ashmit Patel and Veena Malik together again

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Ashmit Patel will be joining Bigg Toss from February 26. The Indian TV reality show features Veena Malik, Rakhi Sawant, cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s father Yograj Singh and other celebrity participants.

Presently, Veena has been friendly with Bigg Toss participant wrestler Sangram Singh, and with Ashmit’s entry things will change.

The show has the celebrities stay in a villa and are divided into two groups and have to choose their favourite Indian cricketer.

>Veena Malik has broken off her engagement

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Pakistani actress Veena Malik has broken off her engagement with fiance Faisal Akbar Khan following her much-publicised stint on the fourth season of Indian reality show ‘Big Boss’, said the official site of the show.

Veena has confirmed that her engagement with the New York based Pakistani businessman is over.

Khan is a businessman based in Newbig boss York and is a family friend of Malik. The two got engaged in October last year after cricketer Mohammad Asif broke up with Veena to get married.

Veena, who claims to have received lucrative offers to host some World Cup related shows on Indian channels, said Faisal proposed to her quite a long time ago.

Earlier, a report said Veena Malik will now appear in two more shows on the Indian television, including a cricket show.

“I have been a diehard cricket fan and follow the game religiously. I have been offered several projects but this is cricket season, ” The Express Tribune quoted Veena Malik, who is currently in India on a three-month visa, as saying.

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>Rakhi and Veena will add a lot of drama in Bigg Toss

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They wanted to be different, says Hemant Sharma, news editor of India TV, and that is why they came up with “Bigg Toss”, which sees item girl Rakhi Sawant and Pakistani actress Veena Malik entertaining viewers by discussing cricketers in their unique style during the World Cup matches.

“Usually, during the World Cup matches, all the news channels organise discussions with four or five experts in the studio. This concept doesn’t excite people anymore. We wanted to do something different so we zeroed in on this concept,” Sharma told.

“Bigg Toss”, which went on air Feb 17, will be shown only when India is playing. It features 12 contestants divided into two groups who will choose their favourite player from the Indian team and bet on him. The group that scores the maximum points will be declared the winner of a Honda car.

Why Rakhi and Veena?

“Both of them can add a lot of drama to the show and people are interested in watching them on small screen,” Sharma said.

Apart from Rakhi and Veena, the list of contestants includes cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s father Yograj Singh, singers Shankar Sawhney and Ashok Masti, beautician Sylvie and RJ Simran, among others.