Former Tamasha finalist Muslim Abbas has spoken out about how reality television editing can reshape a contestant’s image far beyond what actually happens inside the house.
Tamasha is ARY Digital’s reality show based on the Big Boss format, hosted by actor Adnan Siddiqui. Season 4 premiered on August 9, 2025, and wrapped up with a grand finale on October 11, 2025, with singer Saif Ali Khan from Peshawar winning the title.
Muslim Abbas, who entered the show after it opened auditions to the general public for the first time, reached the finale but did not win.
Since leaving the house, Abbas has been candid about what he saw as a gap between what happened on screen and what actually took place. He says moments get cut, context disappears and a person’s entire personality can be changed through the way footage gets assembled.
“When I came out, I realised the show had been edited in a certain way,” he said. “In production, they choose roles, a hero, a villain, a ‘phuppo’, a mother figure, a father figure. They pick these kinds of characters and then edit accordingly to make someone look a certain way. If someone is shown as a villain in the beginning, they continue to portray them like that throughout the episode.”
He added that the show’s structure follows the same logic as scripted television. “Because, you see, even though it’s a reality show, they still run it like a drama. And in a drama, the person who starts as a hero doesn’t suddenly become a villain at the end.”
