Mandana Karimi is not Sunny Leone. But she'll bawl her way into Bigg Boss 9 finale

What happens when the mercurial Mandana Karimi hits the confession room for a chat with Bigg Boss? Standard Operating Procedure — with soppy relish, she will bawl about how the game is not for her — that she is not mentally strong enough to survive it.

Well into season 9, viewers have, of course, realised better. In that short span too, the makers of Bigg Boss season 9 know that Mandana has emerged one of their hottest tickets to grab eyeballs.

No surprises, Bigg Boss in the course of the chat will assure her this game is just for her — that she is far stronger mentally than she makes herself out to be.

The importance of being Mandana Karimi is all too obvious in the Bigg Boss house this season. She is pretty, has seduced social media impressively, and she knows how to throw a perfect tantrum. As evictions got underway last weekend with Ankit Gera leaving the house, one thing became clear: The lone foreigner on the show this year is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Foreign flavour in the Bigg Boss house has mostly been about exuding a pleasant disposition. Bollywood’s Iranian import Mandana perhaps came in knowing she would be expected to play it cool like Sunny Leone or Claudia Ciesla. She would be expected to make friends in the house.

Mandana did exactly the opposite. She has irritated every housemate, and that has become her USP. Routine fits relate to turning down tasks and refusing to wear the belt and mic. If she has been engaged in a triangle tangle with her partner Keith Sequeira and his girlfriend Rochelle Rao, she has maxed out the anti-heroine vibes flaunting every shade of grey.

That, though, is not what makes her special. Numerous housemates have prospered playing the house nuisance — the Mandana twist lies elsewhere. She thrives on conflicts, but she thrives more on playing the victim afterwards. It does not take a second for Mandana to morph from warring diva to crybaby. Very few housemates have shown mastery in the art of blame. On planet Bigg Boss, it is actually a gift. It makes Mandana a prime contender to reach the finals, at least.