There has always been controversy around Bigg Boss, and the ninth season of Bigg Boss Telugu is no exception. To make sure that drama happens even before the cameras start rolling, the producers have chosen participants who have made news in real life over the years. From Shekhar Basha's widely released audio scandal in Season 8 to Mumaith Khan's role in the Tollywood drug case in Season 1, the pattern is clear. Flora Saini, better known by her stage name Asha Saini, has gotten a lot of attention this season for being bold enough to talk about her experiences with domestic abuse.
From Flora to Asha: The Rise of Cinema
Flora Saini made her acting debut in the Telugu movie Prema Kosam in 1999. It's fascinating that the filmmakers changed her name to "Asha Saini" based on astrology without asking her first. Her first movie didn't garner much notice, but she immediately became well-known with EVV Satyanarayana's Chal Bagundi. In the 2000s, she became well-known as a second heroine in Telugu cinema, acting with big names in movies like Prematho Raa, Narasimha Naidu, and Nuvvu Naku Nachav. Flora got famous in many fields after making approximately 150 movies in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi.
Fighting abuse and getting stronger
Flora's personal life was hard, even though she had glamorous work. When she was only 20, she started dating Gaurang Doshi, a Hindi film producer. A romance that seemed sweet quickly turned violent. Flora says that Doshi cut her off from her family, stole her phone, made her quit her work, and beat her all the time. He is said to have told her, "I swear on my father, I will kill you tonight," which led to a situation that may have been deadly.
Flora ran away and subsequently told someone about the violence. She found strength in her mother's admonition to "run, don't think about money or clothes, just run."
Gaurang Doshi's Career Irony
Gaurang Doshi, the son of noted producer Vinodrai Amarchand Doshi, has made movies including Aankhen and Bawandar. Bawandar's work is mostly about women's social difficulties, yet it's still ironic that he has been accused of abuse in his personal life.
Speaking Out
The abuse happened in 2007, when Flora was at the top of her game. But she didn't talk about what happened to her until 2018, amid the MeToo movement. After Stree became a hit in Bollywood, she got more attention and began to talk more openly about her narrative of survival.
Flora's difficult but inspiring path is reaching a much broader audience when she enters the Bigg Boss 9 Telugu house in 2025. This makes her a contestant and a strong voice.
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