This month, Netflix released IRL: In Real Love, a brand new reality TV dating series set in India. The first four OG single contestants Chiragg Khatri, Ananya S Rao, Rohan Arora, and Sakshi Gupta were tested through the ups and downs of dating in the modern world.
Various new candidates joined the show as their potential matches, and In Real Love even has similar concepts to popular Netflix shows like Love is Blind, The Circle, and Too Hot to Handle.
Via Instagram
While navigating their relationships on-screen and on off-camera on dates, the sassy and quirky Sakshi Gupta remained friends with actor Sahib, but she didn’t leave with ‘the one’. The beauty is definitely *thriving* RN regardless.
Via @thesakshiguptaa on Instagram
Cosmo ME interviewed Sakshi about her experience on In Real Love, what she’s learned from the show, and what she would say now to all the potential men she matched with.
Scroll down to read our exclusive interview with Sakshi Gupta…
Cosmo ME: In a reality TV show, the pressure to form connections quickly can be high. How do you navigate forming genuine connections while also being aware that the cameras are rolling and the pressure is on?
Sakshi Gupta: For finding lasting connections, I believe being real and grounded is key. Besides, being on a reality show makes you go through years of real-life experiences in a short duration. Hence, finding genuine connections doesn’t come as a surprise.
Cosmo ME: Do you believe that the experience of being on a reality TV show has changed your expectations or understanding of love and relationships? If so, in what ways?
SG: I don’t think it’s changed my expectations about love, because I know love is real. I exist and I’m full of it.
Via @thesakshiguptaa on Instagram
Cosmo ME: What have you learned about yourself and your approach to love and relationships from being on a reality TV show? Has this experience made you more or less likely to participate in romantic reality TV shows in the future?
SG: No, I’m not scared of doing more reality shows like this because I’m not scared of love. Sometimes people don’t know what they want. They’re faking out for the cameras. And one thing I’m sure about myself is that I can never, ever, fake it for the cameras.
If I love you, I’ll come up to you and say it to your face in front of everybody. So I’m not scared of doing that.
Cosmo ME: In the context of a reality TV show, there is often a focus on dramatic moments and conflicts. How do you balance the desire for drama with the need to maintain healthy communication and boundaries in your relationships?
SG: We don’t necessarily focus on it, it just happens. The way it happens in real life. So if you’re real, if you’re true to yourself, then you can control what you feel.
Via @thesakshiguptaa on Instagram
Cosmo ME: Lastly, if you had to write a letter to all the boys you’d met during the show, what would you say to them?
SG: I’m like Hailey’s Comet. You will see me once in your lifetime and twice if you’re lucky.
To check out where all the In Real Love contestants are now, click here.