Kushal Tandon recently spoke about his relationship with Zaid Darbar during their time together on the reality show Alliance. The actor made it clear that he never viewed Zaid through his marriage to Gauahar Khan, Tandon’s former partner. In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times published on August 15, 2026, Tandon shared how the two men built a friendship inside the Prime Video show despite their complicated history.
Tandon and Gauahar Khan dated years ago after meeting on Bigg Boss 7. The couple parted ways in 2014. Gauahar later married Zaid Darbar, a choreographer and content creator, in December 2020. The couple now has two sons. When Tandon entered the Alliance house, many viewers expected tension between him and Zaid, given their connection through Gauahar.
Kushal Tandon on His Bond With Zaid Darbar
Speaking about his equation with Zaid, Tandon said he never entered the show looking at him as somebody’s husband. He told Hindustan Times:
“I didn’t see him as somebody’s husband. I saw him as a contestant.”
Tandon explained that the two eventually “gelled up like boarding school guys” and became good friends. He pointed out that his past with Gauahar dates back 15 years, and everyone involved has grown and moved on since then.
“That’s 15 years back. We all grew up and we are all mature people. And we meet outside also. There’s no bad blood.”
The actor added that he even forgot Zaid is Gauahar’s husband at times. For him, Zaid was simply a guy he met for the first time on the show.
The Viral Comment That Sparked Controversy
During their time on Alliance, a playful exchange between Tandon and Zaid created a lot of discussion online. Tandon made a remark to Zaid: “Tujhe saari meri cheezein pasand aati hai” (You seem to like everything that’s mine). Many viewers interpreted this as a reference to Gauahar Khan, given Tandon’s past relationship with her.
Tandon clarified that the comment had nothing to do with Gauahar. He explained that Zaid would regularly ask for things that belonged to him, from his cigarette and coffee to his protein shake.
“When we smoke, he wants my cigarette. When I make coffee, he wants my coffee. When I make protein shake, he wants my protein shake. I told him that you like only my stuff. And it was not to any other context.”
The actor said the exchange was simply part of their friendship and banter. He maintained that there was no malice behind their interaction.
Zaid Darbar Confronted Kushal Over the Remark
Zaid Darbar also spoke about the incident in a separate interview. He revealed that he did confront Kushal about the remark inside the house. However, the conversation was not shown in the final edit of the show.
Zaid told Hindustan Times that he approached Kushal calmly instead of reacting with anger. He said:
“I actually spoke to him inside. It’s not that I didn’t speak at all; I actually went and had a very constructive conversation. It isn’t necessary to approach someone with anger or frustration for them to understand your point.”
According to Zaid, Kushal listened to his concerns and responded positively. Kushal even apologised for his remarks. Zaid recalled Kushal saying:
“I’m sorry. Zaid ki family ko main bahut respect karta hoon, aisa humara kuch thought process tha hi nahi.”
Kushal Tandon Clarifies His Statement Was Misunderstood
Tandon addressed the controversy again in a separate interview with News18 on August 13, 2026. He explained that it was simply “boys’ talk” and banter between him and Zaid. He said the comment was blown out of proportion.
Tandon also spoke about how the situation escalated inside the house. According to him, contestant Vanshaj Singh returned to the show and told Zaid about the negative reaction outside to Tandon’s remark. Tandon said Vanshaj’s game plan was to turn everyone against him. Vanshaj later admitted that he had lied about Tandon not apologising to Zaid.
Despite the drama, Tandon said he stood by the people he had promised to support. He added that the whole group tried to make him fall, but no one succeeded.
Why Kushal Tandon Agreed to Do Alliance
Tandon revealed that he had initially sworn off reality television after appearing on a show about 15 years ago. He credited producer and mentor Ekta Kapoor for convincing him to do Alliance.
Kapoor, with whom he has worked on his last four shows, called him to her house and asked him to give her a year. She had two web shows lined up for him but first wanted him to take on the reality show experience.
“I just did this show because of Ekta Kapoor. Otherwise I would have not done this show.”
Tandon said the experience proved transformative. He believes Alliance allowed audiences to see sides of him that may not have been visible through his scripted work.
“The world has seen what kind of a person I am.”
Zaid Darbar Was Nervous Before Meeting Kushal
Before Kushal entered the Alliance house, Zaid admitted he was very nervous. In a confessional, he shared that he couldn’t stop thinking about how the meeting would go.
“Main bahut hi nervous tha. Dimaag se ke kya hoga, kya nahi hoga, kaun kaise react karega (I was very nervous. In my mind, I kept thinking—what will happen, what won’t, how will everyone react).”
When Kushal walked in, the interaction remained polite and composed. Kushal acknowledged Zaid’s emotions with empathy. He said, “Zaid is a very gentle boy, but mein uske emotions samajhta hoon (Zaid is a very gentle boy, but I understand his emotions)”.
Gauahar Khan Defended Zaid and Kushal’s Friendship
Gauahar Khan also weighed in on the dynamics between her husband and her ex-boyfriend. In July 2026, she slammed Nikhil Chinapa for allegedly trying to create a rift between Zaid and Kushal on Alliance. She called him out on her Instagram stories and accused him of “acting like a snake”.
Gauahar defended her husband, saying Zaid has been transparent from the beginning and has stayed away from unnecessary politics inside the house. She also explained that Zaid’s conversation with another contestant was simply an attempt to help him understand Kushal’s perspective.
Despite the past, Zaid and Kushal maintained a respectful friendship inside the Alliance house. After the show ended, the two were seen posing together with Gauahar at Mini Mathur’s success party. The reunion surprised many netizens.
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About the Show Alliance
Alliance is a social strategy reality show hosted by Kunal Kemmu. The series features 16 celebrities living together and competing in various challenges. The show ended with Mini Mathur as the winner while Aly Goni finished as the first runner-up.
Tandon’s entry into the show came with an obvious question: how would he navigate a reality show alongside Zaid Darbar, the husband of his former partner? According to Tandon, any awkwardness viewers expected quickly gave way to a friendship.
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