Actress Tanisha Mukherjee has traversed a bumpy ride in reality show Bigg Boss 7 and has now reached the final four.
Tanisha, born in an illustrious Bollywood family, entered the show on a low note. The actress' career looked dim with a few Marathi projects and the producer's role for the family banner.
And compared to her elder sibling and the super successful Kajol, Tanisha would have been demoted to the list of unsuccessful siblings of famous stars.
At such a point in her life, the 35-year-old took up reality show Bigg Boss, which has the scandalous tag and best known for its endless controversies.
The actress, upon her entry, was made the house captain and appeared as a calm, composed and mature person. She went on to become the house captain for the second week as well and had appeared to be the most level-headed of all the contestants.
However, this image of the actress took a toss soon when she was shifted to the Hell area of the house and met the house's angry man Armaan Kohli.
The actress shed her demure image instantly and her growing equation with Armaan became the talking point of the show. Over time, her intimacy with Armaan became the focus of the cameras, and Salman stepped in to save the grace of the Mukherjee family and issued a veiled warning. But the couple continued in their antics.
The turning point of Tanisha's stay in the show came after a fight with Kushal Tandon. The actress kept her cool even when Kushal blatantly mocked her and her failing career. Her dignified stand took many by surprise and show host Salman Khan strongly backed the actress.
Even when the internet exploded with #UnfairSalman, the actress steadily grew support from the public because of the sympathy factor, along with her composed attitude in tense situations.
However, she faced hiccups repeatedly as her closest friend Armaan's aggressive attitude towards her reduced her to the 'suppressed woman' image. She repeatedly shot back the claims but the 'doormat' image was one that proved difficult to go away.
Strangely enough, despite being heavily condemned for being biased towards Armaan and not taking a strong stand herself, the actress found a strong connection with the audience. She shocked all when she emerged as the safe contestant between her and Armaan recently.
Tanisha's may rightfully be called as an underdog in the show; one who was at a low level in terms of popularity but arose gradually and is now among the show's top four finalists. She even outdid VJ Andy, who has considered the strongest contender for the title.
And with the determined Gauhar Khan, diplomatic Sangram Singh and camera friendly Ajaz Khan for competition, chances are that the dignified Tanisha can emerge as a mass favourite.
After all, her image as that of a matured and understanding person has come through post Armaan's exit. And as a bonus, her cozy equation with Armaan will invite the votes from the actor's fans as well.
So far the odds have been in favour of the actress and the finale may hold a similar fate for Tanisha.