Splitsvilla 7 wrap-up: An Israeli wild-card and the shirtless Mr Asia

Episode seven of Splitsvilla 7 and here’s where we are. Last week, with Ashwini and Sanjana leaving (because that’s what you do when you have some sort of feeling for each other: you leave the show), Scarlett was all alone. Fortunately for her, Ayaz stepped into save her from the dumping ground in the last episode. But there was tragedy elsewhere. Mayank Pawar’s ‘connection’ with Puja was lost as she ended up getting dumped.

This naturally means that in the latest instalment, Mayank, aka Mr Asia, has to play the role of the anguished lover. He does this by choosing not to wear his shirt when he is supposedly moaning and crying. In his own words — ‘Ab toh game khelo’ time. From this we gather that he wants to play the game without wearing a shirt.

While Mr Asia’s muscled torso is for the ladies and gents so inclined, for everyone else, there’s a new female addition to the Splitsvilla universe in the form of Israeli contestant, Dana Vana. How did she get in? All we can tell you is that her entry shots show her prancing around in a blue bikini under a waterfall. Go figure the rest out for yourselves. It’s when Dana goes on her date with the gentlemen of Splitsvilla that we realised the critical factor for her being on the show. Dana wears a black bikini with enough cleavage to give Sunny Leone a complex. This season of Splitsvilla already has hit record highs in terms of ratings. Chances are, Dana will only help reach new heights.

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She might also be responsible for new lows. Here’s what we do know about Dana, in her own words: “I’m a very loving person, I’m here to love and give love to all.” How’s that for spreading the love? Her claims to give love to all face their first challenge when the boys have to impress her in order to become a possible contender for kingship in Splitsvilla.

Mayank is almost in tears during the ‘date’ that the four boys — Ayaz, Mayank Gandhi, Abhishek and Mayank ‘Mr Asia’ Pawar — have with Dana. He’s still pining for Puja, but that doesn’t stop him from wading into the pool and telling Dana that she should choose him as next contender. “I will make sure that connections other people have don’t get broken,” he promises Dana, thus anointing himself the patron saint of connections.

At the end of the date, Dana decides that Abhishek can’t be a possible contender, which seems a bit mean since all he did during the date was repeat “She’s so hot”. As it turns out, Dana was lying. She tells the camera later on that she didn’t pick Abhishek as a contender because she wants to “spend time” with him in the villa. She also says he was “very smiley”. Choo sweet. Perhaps now Abhishek will get some love.

The fight for kingship ultimately pits Ayaz, Mayank Gandhi and Mr Asia against Shravan. First, the other three have to lift weights. The last two men standing will then compete against Shravan to be the new king. The only problem is that the girls get to choose how much weight the boys have to carry. Poor Mr Asia is saddled with around 80 kgs as is Ayaz. It’s too much baggage for Ayaz to carry around and he gives in.

So the two Mayanks, Mr Asia and Mayank Gandhi, who are the final competitors. At this point, we learn that Abhishek has broken some ‘protocol’ in Splitsvilla. It was a revelation to us that there is any protocol to begin with in Splitsvilla, but apparently, there is. Or maybe ‘protocol’ is the new addition to the Splitsvilla-English dictionary.

Here’s the breach of protocol. Egged on by Mayank (Gandhi), Abhishek went into Queen Khushi’s area and stole her gown. In case you thought there’s a drag queen lurking beneath Abhishek’s manly appearance, don’t worry. He didn’t want to wear it. It was just a bet. However, in Splitsvilla, gown-stealing is not allowed. Nikhil informs everyone that there will be consequences, though precisely what these consequences may be is something that isn’t disclosed.

Meanwhile Rhisabh (the one who’s out of the villa but not out of the game for some damned reason) is called back and he gets to choose which of the two will fight Shravan. Why does he get to make the choice? We’re guessing it’s called director’s whimsy.

Rhisabh picks Mr Asia, which sets the stage for the following game. Shravan and Mr Asia are tied together and in what can only be described as a small field of mud. Fencing this mud field in are shields. Whichever candidate breaks more shield from his rivals’ side will win.

You’d think this contest would be over quickly except like everything else in Splitsvilla, this too is tortuously slow. What could have been a fun gaming of playful dragging quickly degenerates into mud-wrestling. And as all of us who have watched Nayak know, muddy men just don’t look pretty. On a tangential note, we can’t help but wonder from where did Shravan get his neon green shorts?

So who’s the new king? Wait another episode to find out.

Splitsvilla airs on on Saturday 7 PM on MTV

Disclaimer: Splitsvilla airs on MTV India, which is part of Viacom 18, a joint venture between Network 18 India and Viacom Inc. Firstpost is published by the Network 18 Group.