Sudhanshu Pandey criticised for post-show comments; Apoorva Mukhija calls them rooted in misogyny

After days of silence, The Traitors contestant Apoorva Mukhija has finally reacted to actor Sudhanshu Pandey’s repeated criticism of her behaviour on the show. The influencer and content creator addressed his remarks in a recent interview, calling them “misogynistic” and raising questions about why the conversation wasn’t held privately.

“Sudhanshu ji has spoken a lot more outside than he did in the game,” Apoorva said in an interview with Screen. “I also texted him that he called me his child, so he could have texted me once; this could have been a private conversation. I am sorry if he felt that way, but I cannot go and clarify everything that is said about me on the internet.”

She further criticised a statement Sudhanshu made in an earlier interview, which she interpreted as rooted in misogyny. “He said there is a difference between boys and girls, but today girls think they will live like boys. That stems from a lot of misogyny, more than moral policing,” she said. Apoorva also pointed out that edited video clips may have skewed the audience's view: “People have only cut reels out of one thing, sir, then why me? He could have spoken about the game.”

Sudhanshu, who remained largely quiet during The Traitors but performed well in tasks, had earlier said Apoorva’s use of language and conduct reflected a lack of values. “We live in a very civilised society,” he told Bollywood Bubble. “The sanskaar we’ve been given since childhood… define our culture, our traditions, and everything we stand for.”

Both Apoorva and Sudhanshu were part of the “innocents” team on the reality show. While Sudhanshu made it to the finale before being eliminated by Uorfi Javed, Nikita Luther, and Harsh Gujral, Apoorva exited a day earlier — a move that upset many of her supporters online.

The Traitors, hosted by Karan Johar, featured 20 contestants from different walks of entertainment. Uorfi and Nikita won the season, taking home ?70.5 lakh. A second season has already been confirmed.