Actress Sana Maqbool has been flooded with calls and messages ever since she won the reality show ‘Bigg Boss OTT 3’. The actress recently spoke to IndiaToday.in and talked about her journey on the show and revealed that not many people recognised her before she participated in ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’. She also shared that many people criticised her for actively speaking about her desire to win the show, but she did not care about it.

Sana said contestants who participate in shows like ‘Bigg Boss’ often get the advantage of their fan following on social media. She said even though she did not have a large number, she was confident of winning hearts with sheer willpower. “My name has been ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’. Nobody knew me before that. I know my truth and I have no shame in accepting it. I barely had 300K followers on Instagram. When I was spotted at the airport with the team, my follower count shot up.”

Sand said she put her heart and soul into the adventure reality show hosted by Rohit Shetty. “I will give credit to myself here, as I proved myself and performed well in the stunts. I thought of myself as a weak person, but I was surprised by my strength. I won all the stunts I did. However, I never had the passion to win the show; I just wanted to master my stunts,” she said.

Sana opened up about her ‘Bigg Boss’ journey. She revealed that when she initially got the offer to participate, she was battling some health issues. “Soon after, I got the offer for ‘Bigg Boss’, but I was going through some health issues. I started focusing on myself. That’s when I also understood the importance of self-love. I was not mentally prepared to do ‘Bigg Boss’, but when the offer came this time, I had an internal battle because I wanted to prove myself.”

The actress, who has featured in TV shows like “Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon”, said she wanted to win the hearts of the audience with her presence even if she didn’t win the show. “All my friends told me that when you enter the house, it should feel like a queen has arrived. I wanted to shed that image, I wanted to win the show, and if that wasn’t happening, I wanted people to remember me with high regard. I wanted people to know me and Bigg Boss was that gateway to reach the audience. I wanted this attention, this fame. People might have questioned my desire, but I wanted to win the show, to shine,” she said.

When asked how she feels having finally achieved what she was aiming for, she smiled and said, “But, I am still at the beginner stage. I have seen ups and downs in life and I understand how important it is to keep a steady head on your shoulders. Also, The pleasure that comes from staying on the ground, is not there in flying (It’s more fun to be on the ground than to be in the clouds). I’m grateful that so many people love me for who I am. Because I had a lot of negativity and I was always in the corner, I had a lot of self-doubt. It feels great to see people showering me with so much love.”

Sana Maqbool has not announced any new project after winning ‘Bigg Boss OTT’ season 3. The actor is enjoying her free time with friends and family members.