You can love her or hate her but you can never ignore her”, Uorfi Javed tells t2 when we ask her why she admires Kim Kardashian. That description pretty much sums up Uorfi who, after bursting onto the scene (and our Instagram feeds) with her crazy outfit choices a few years ago and marking a permanent spot there, is now showcasing her life 24x7 — a lot like Keeping Up With The Kardashians — on the Prime Video reality show Follow Kar Lo Yaar. Before its premiere on August 23, t2 caught up with Uorfi for a candid chat.

What was the starting point of Follow Kar Lo Yaar?

Prime Video approached me. They said they wanted to make a reality show on me. At first, I was like: ‘Really?! On me?!’ But then I was like: ‘If not me, then who?!’ (Laughs) Who else can they make a reality show like this on except me? I said: ‘Okay, let’s go! That is how it happened.

What was their pitch?

They said it is a follow reality show (where the cameras tail the subject almost 24x7) and that they wanted to showcase me as me. All I had to do was be me.

I have given the show 100 per cent access to my life. I have not taken it lightly. There is nothing about me that is hidden on this show. My family is on it, even their lives will be out in the open on Follow Kar Lo Yaar.

You are pretty much out there already, but were there any initial apprehensions of baring your life and that of your family completely?

No. Honestly, when I showcase myself and whatever I do in front of the paps (paparazzi) almost every day, it requires a lot of money. It is not like I have a lot of offers. I have to put a lot of money into the outfits that I wear. Since I didn’t have a lot of work, this show was an opportunity for me.

What was the most challenging bit of being a part of this show?

My therapy sessions will be shown in Follow Kar Lo Yaar, and that is as real as it can get. For the first time, I went for therapy and that was recorded and it is out there for the world to see.

Was there a larger purpose to consent to this? Did you, in any way, want to tackle the taboo that is attached to going for therapy among many people?

That is a reason, of course. It also gives you an insight of why I am and who I am. Like why I behave a certain way in certain situations. Revealing one’s deepest, darkest secrets on national television sounds scary, but I was cool with it.

What is your earliest memory of being someone who loved the camera?

I have always been an attention seeker. I love it! Wherever I went, I would always dress up in a way so that all eyes would be on me. I was maybe a bit of a pick-me girl. But I have removed the pick-me bit... now I am just an attention seeker.

‘Attention seeker’ has a negative connotation. Doesn’t it bother you being called one or even referring to yourself like that?

There is nothing positive related to me anymore. But that is okay. I get to do whatever I want to in life. I always do what I believe is the right thing. There will always be a section of people hating on a girl for everything. If an incident happens, there are people who say that it is the girl’s fault... things like she wore such clothes, why was she roaming around at night, what was she doing? You can’t get people to be quiet. I believe in what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong.

Have people’s opinions never bothered you?

Of course it has bothered me... it still bothers me sometimes. But what to do? I have a lot of ambition and I have kept going.

Coming back to the show, was Follow Kar Lo Yaar the title you always wanted?

This was my Instagram bio and that is how Prime (Video) got the idea of using it for the title of the show. And I was like: ‘Wow, crazy idea!’

What was your family’s reaction to being on the show? Were they game from the get-go or did it need some convincing on your part?

I didn’t really convince-convince them. I just told them. I didn’t give them any option to say ‘no’. I did tell them that if was a good opportunity for all of us. They knew how much doing the show meant to me... that it was make or break for me. So they did it.

So is Uorfi the one who decides everything at home?

I try, but they don’t listen to me. In my head, I feel they do but no one actually listens!

The format of the show is, undoubtedly, on the lines of Keeping Up with the Kardashians and you have said that you aspire to be the next Kim. What is it about her that you admire so much?

She is hardworking and ambitious. She has built a career for herself and her entire family... we can’t take that away from her. You can love her or hate her but you can never ignore her, or discredit her for her hard work.

How do members of the film industry react when you meet them?

They react nicely. I have met some really nice people who have been very supportive. People like Neha Dhupia, Mrunal (Thakur), Orry, Alizeh, Alvira ma’am (Agnihotri)... the list is very long.

Orry is there in your show. Both of you are social media stars with similar personalities and trajectories. What do you connect on?

He has his own thought process while I have mine. We are completely different people. We admire each other and have mutual respect. That is the base of our friendship.

You burst onto the scene a couple of years ago because of the crazy outfits you would sport on an everyday basis, which continues even today. What is the story behind that?

I got eliminated from Bigg Boss (in 2021) very early on and I was very disappointed. I had thought that I would become a star after Bigg Boss and that my life would change. But nothing happened and I was like: ‘What am I supposed to do now?!’ Since I had just got out of Bigg Boss, the paps were covering me at that time and I knew that I had a short window to grab attention before they moved on to someone else. I knew that I had to do everything I could to become famous.

What made you hit upon the idea of appearing in a new outrageous outfit every day?

I love fashion and I knew fan culture was becoming increasingly popular in India. I knew that I had to get people’s attention... whether good or bad, all I knew is that I had to grab attention. I love drama and I decided to use that in my outfits.

How do you decide on these outfits? Do you have a team that ideates them?

I have a team but the ideas, at least 70 per cent of the time, are mine and I discuss it with the team and get it done. It is a big team.

Will Follow Kar Lo Yaar show us the real Uorfi? Do you want the world to see the person behind the persona?

I just want to put my life out there. I want people to see that I am both everything and nothing. My life is a complete open book.... I have nothing to hide.

Is that liberating in some way?

Since I have nothing to hide, no one can ever blackmail me! (Laughs) Public figures have many secrets but I don’t and unlike them, I am not scared of anyone. If someone even tries to blackmail me for something, I will put it online myself.

What is the plan for Uorfi in the next few years?

I want to start my own business, have my own brands, I want to have my own unicorn....

And an acting career?

Only when I produce it myself. If I get a good acting opportunity, I don’t mind doing it but it is not something I am running after right now. I know it is not possible for directors or producers to trust me with a movie because I haven’t really done any acting. That is completely fair and understandable. What I am doing right now is helping me get work and money. Prime Video has trusted me with such a big project and I want to take that forward for now.