Maheep Kapoor, Raftaar, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukesh Chhabra on The Traitors eviction: 'It's all psychological'

The second week of The Traitors on Prime Video was just as dramatic as the first, with more eliminations, explosive emotions, and escalating stakes. The palace has descended into complete anarchy as four further competitors have been eliminated—two by vote and two by murder. It appears that no one is safe anymore.

Maheep Kapoor, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukesh Chhabra, and Raftaar exit amid twists and turns

Playmates voted out Maheep Kapoor and Ashish Vidyarthi in the week's dramatic "Circle of Shaq" event. Casting director Mukesh Chhabra was murdered by traitors at a later point in the night. After an emotional argument caused Sufi Motiwala to completely break down, rapper Raftaar was evicted.

Maheep Kapoor on the mental toll of the game

The mental toll of the format was great, according to Maheep Kapoor, who reflected on her experience in the game. She said, "We were mentally and physically very tired. And I've said it before, and I'm saying it again. It's very easy to sit in your living room and switch on the TV and say. You guys know who the Traitors are; we didn't. It's very convenient to say, 'What are they doing? Why are they doing that?' It's a mind game. It's all psychological."

ALSO READ: The Traitors Ep 4 - 6 Review: Elnaaz Norouzi and Purav Jha's strategic gameplay revives Karan Johar's show despite lack of thrills 

Raftaar, who triumphantly exited the game, opened up about his experience: "I am toh quite happy, matlab yeh pehla aisa show hai, jisme exit hona bhi ijjat vali baat hai (This is the first kind of show where getting eliminated is also a matter of pride). Yeh toh bada smart tha, isko nikalna zaroori tha (He was very smart; eliminating him was necessary). So, it is a great thing. That is the format of the show I like."

Ashish Vidyarthi draws parallels to real life

The game, according to veteran actor Ashish Vidyarthi, is based on real life. He went on to say, "Yeh ek game hai, lekin yeh real life ko mimic karta hai (This is a game, but it mimics real life). Real life mein bhi hum sochte hain ki hum samajdaar hain (In real life too, we think we are smart), lekin humein khud nahi pata chalta kab hum bhed chaal ka hissa ban jaate hain (but we don't realise when we become part of the herd mentality). So what you see in The Traitors is what is happening in the world—we think we’re very smart. And that's when the individual realises. So it was a masterclass in life for me."

The eviction of Mukesh Chhabra this week by the Traitors demonstrated how random the game can be. He shared, "Yeh reality show sabse alag hai (This reality show is very different). Jaise inhone show plan kiya hai, woh hi kamal ka hai (The way the show has been planned is exceptional). Jiske saath baith kar main abhi khana kha raha hoon, woh hi agle pal meri opinion badal deta hai (The person I was just eating with changes their opinion about me the next moment), sirf ek plate lene jaate hi (just by stepping away to get a plate). Peeche mudh ke dekho toh sab badal chuka hota hai (When you look back, everything has changed). Har second log ek doosre ke baare mein apna opinion badal rahe hain (Every second, people are changing their opinions about each other); wahi toh is show ka asli khel hai (that’s the real game of the show)."

All about The Traitors India

The British-Indian production company BBC Studios India Productions is behind the remake of The Traitors that premiered in India. The original format, developed by IDTV and syndicated by All3Media International, won multiple awards, including BAFTAs and Emmys. You can watch episodes 1–6 on Prime Video right now, and new episodes drop every Thursday at 8 PM.