Hindustan Times : Feb 24, 2020, 01:26 PM
Bigg Boss 13 contestant Mahira Sharma is in hot water for allegedly lying about getting a Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival award for being the “most fashionable” contestant on the show. The organisers issued an official statement on their Instagram account, condemning her ‘immoral and distasteful attempt to gain publicity’.The statement comes after Mahira took to her Instagram stories to share a certificate, purportedly from the awards show, declaring her the “most fashionable contestant of Bigg Boss 13”. The organisers have said that though she attended the ceremony, no such award was given to her.Calling Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival “one of the most prestigious” awards functions, the statement said, “One of the Bigg Boss 13 contestants, Ms Mahira Sharma, who was an attendee of this event, posted an Instagram story on 20th February 2020 at around 11:30 pm showcasing that she has received a certificate of appreciation at the DPIFF award ceremony for being ‘The Most Fashionable Contestant Of Bigg Boss 13’. From then on, this story has been copied and reposted by the fan pages on Instagram along with multiple media houses who have posted this as news on their websites.”The statement said that the certificate was “forged”: “This immoral and distasteful attempt by Mahira Sharma to gain publicity and personal benefits by counterfeiting a very reputed award and showcasing her name on to a falsified category has created an irreversible damage to the brand’s image and reputation.” It added that their reputation was further tarnished when several media houses reported this as news.Now, the organisers have sent her a notice “asking to take down all the misleading PR activities done by her and her team”. They have also demanded a written apology from her within 48 hours, failing which they will initiate legal proceedings against her.Mahira, meanwhile, has not yet responded to the allegations.