Bigg Boss and controversies often go hand in hand, and this season, actress Sanjana Galrani has become the talking point. Known to Telugu audiences as Prabhas’ heroine in Bujjigadu, Sanjana walked into the Bigg Boss 9 house with the burden of a controversial past.
From Bold Debut to South Indian Stardom
Sanjana first grabbed attention with Ganda Hendathi, the Kannada remake of Bollywood’s Murder. Reprising Mallika Sherawat’s role, the film created a storm for its bold content and made Sanjana an overnight sensation. She went on to act in nearly 50 films across Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam industries. For Telugu fans, her glamorous role opposite Prabhas in Bujjigadu remains unforgettable.
While her professional life had highs, her personal life was no less dramatic. Though secretly married to a Bengaluru-based vascular surgeon Azeez Pasha, Sanjana continues to practice Hindu traditions, keeping her private choices away from public glare.
The Sandalwood Drug Case Shock
In 2020, Karnataka’s Sandalwood drug scandal rocked the industry, and Sanjana’s name landed in the middle of it. She was arrested in September 2020, by the Central Crime Branch (CCB), just days after another Kannada actress Ragini Dwivedi’s arrest.
Raids at her residence led to seizures of phones and documents, fueling the investigation. Sanjana, however, maintained innocence. Her mother also was arrested along with her. She spent nearly three months in prison after multiple bail rejections before finally securing conditional bail in December 2020 on health grounds.
Legal Twists and Acquittal
The case dragged on until 2024 when the Karnataka High Court quashed proceedings against Sanjana, realtor Shivaprakash, and another accused, citing procedural flaws. The court pointed out that police had wrongly clubbed offenses from different years into one chargesheet. However, authorities were not satisfied and announced plans to approach the Supreme Court with a special leave petition (SLP). As of February 2025, the appeal remains pending.
Bigg Boss Telugu 9 Entry: A Second Chance?
This isn’t Sanjana’s first time in Bigg Boss show as she participated in Bigg Boss Kannada 1 back in 2013 but was evicted in two weeks. Now, entering Bigg Boss Telugu 9, she claims people still judge her through the “drug case lens,” despite her acquittal. She says the show is her platform to win hearts and showcase her true self.
However, this is the irony – while Sanjana hopes to clear her name, her Bigg Boss Telugu entry has only amplified awareness of a controversy that many Telugu audiences barely noticed back in 2020.
