09 November,2025 10:10 AM IST | Mumbai | Vidya Heble
Kunickaa Sadanand
For someone like me, who's close to her age, Kunickaa Sadanand's is a voice from the past, but also awfully relevant. Especially when she gets called "Aunty" for voicing her opinion. Look at Salman Khan, who too is close to 60. Do people call him "Uncle"? Why people are so ready to label an older woman "Aunty", but are fine calling a man of the same age "Bhai" or "Sir", is a matter for an entire thesis. But, aunty or not, Kunickaa should not be told to "shut up and sit down".
Maybe everything the Bigg Boss 19 contestant says is not "valid" in the sense of being wholly fair or correct, as viewers and fellow contestants say. But she does make points that need to be heard. In a confrontation with Abhishek Bajaj, she pointed out that although people addressed her with respect ("aap", "ma'am"), they were trash-talking behind her back and relying on her seniority to shield them from accountability.
When she said "Don't give me that jhooti izzat (fake respect)," it was a call for accountability - something we, once upon a time, valued. She quipped about a contestant who "doesn't know how to chop vegetables" despite having many privileges, and said that not knowing certain basic "life skills" might be a real disqualification for a house full of adult participants. In a scenario where everyone is expected to share chores and live together, it's a reminder that empowerment is not just what you say but also what you do.
In a calmer moment, she once observed, "In this industry, no matter what happens, if you're good and your reputation is intact, you'll always have work." This may not gel with the image of a Bollywood actor complete with star quality, but for a professional whose bread-and-butter is acting, a steady influx of roles - boring, maybe, but paying - can be worth as much as an A-list ranking. Lessons for the below-60s? In many professions, including entertainment, reputation and consistent competence may not be flamboyant, but it's credible.
OK, so maybe her delivery undermines her message. Is she unnecessarily brash or brusque? Does she use personal attacks, bring in family or backgrounds of others? Isn't that how the Bigg Boss playing field operates? After all, she is in a reality show, where conflict is amplified and strategic positioning matters. Some of her remarks may be gameplay-driven rather than purely honest opinions.
The fairness of some of her remarks is questionable: Is knowledge of cooking or chopping vegetables truly a standard by which you judge someone's upbringing or contribution? That becomes murky, and many viewers feel she crosses the line into elitism or moral policing. But social media users have also said that she only pointed out that being in kitchen does not make you less empowered. Which, frankly, is true. Younger people are all too quick to bracket roles and responsibilities into silos, when in actuality it is more grey than black-and-white.
Frankly, why even should we listen to people older than us? Chiefly because they have been there, they have probably done that, and in all likelihood they can tell you the possible outcomes of whatever it is you have in mind. Sure, a "fresh perspective" from Gens Z and Alpha is nice. But it will never beat the voice of experience.
