‘Survivor 47’ Star Anika Dhar ‘Was Blindsided’ By Shocking Elimination

Photo: Anika Dhar on “Survivor” with host Jeff Probst.

By REENA RATHORE

LOS ANGELES, CA — After an electrifying stint on Season 47 of CBS’ reality competition series, “Survivor,” Anika Dhar’s time on the Fijian island was unexpectedly cut short, leaving her with a whirlwind of emotions — and a bittersweet exit that she called “gratifying, challenging, thrilling, and heartbreaking all at once.”

From the thrill of strategizing to the shock of her elimination in episode 5, the Indian American contestant’s journey was one of fierce competition, emotional highs, and unforeseen twists.

“It was such a thrilling adventure to be a part of. Lots of aspects of it were challenging, from the mental game to the actual starvation and living out on the island. I’m obviously disappointed by my exit and a little bit obviously heartbroken. I wish I was able to play the game for longer, but I learned so much about myself,” Dhar told India-West.

Her elimination, that’s still fresh in her mind, showed how quickly alliances can crumble in the face of strategy. “I was genuinely blindsided. My mind completely went blank… so the reaction that you see is all of my real raw emotions,” Dhar admitted, recounting how one of her closest allies turned against her in a surprising vote. “Sierra, one of my tribe mates, she did a really excellent job of making me feel like she was going to vote with me and she made me feel very comfortable in the game. And I was very secure in the relationships that I was building out there. So I was truly shocked to know that my true alliance member had turned against me to work with other players and ultimately vote me out of the game.”

She confessed the emotional difficulty of reliving the moments of betrayal as she watched the episode on TV, saying, “it brought me back to the island… everything came rushing back to me.”

In retrospect, the 26-year-old mulled over the many “what ifs” that inevitably come with a game built on razor-thin margins.

“There’s a million, it’s all in hindsight, right. In the moment, I was so proud of my game… I felt like I was doing a lot of strategic moves and building my relationships… and I was putting in all the effort needed,” she said. “Looking back, I would have tried to fight longer to keep John, who’s the first person who got voted out…Prior to us losing the first tribal council, I would have, on the journey, pulled out a second one and risked my chances even higher, to get a 50-50 chance for a possible advantage just to make sure I didn’t lose my vote.”

Throughout her time on “Survivor,” Dhar focused on building strong alliances and maintaining her social game, one of her perceived strengths going in as a marketing manager. However, her social game, she realized, was both her asset and Achilles’ heel.

“Before the game, I really sold it that I was this project manager, and I am in my day-to-day life very focused, and I have a good work ethic, and I work hard. And it’s very interesting that these qualities may be positive in real life but I think it may have hurt me a little bit in the game,” she told India-West.

Despite the sting of defeat, Dhar’s time on “Survivor” wasn’t without triumphs. Her love for puzzles became a vital contribution, keeping her team competitive through multiple tribal councils.

In preparing for the island, Dhar had put herself through a rigorous regime, not just physically but mentally as well. “I worked out more than I ever have in my whole entire life to prepare for this,” she said. “I also downloaded so puzzle apps on my phone and read a couple of books like ‘48 Laws of Power’ which talk about social dynamics…for me, it wasn’t work. I found that fun.”

But perhaps what prepared her most was a personal tragedy she had endured years earlier when her family lost their home in the devastating Tubbs Fire. “I ended up learning how to live with nothing and no attachments. And so that mentality prepared me to be out on the island where you don’t have access to your phone, you don’t have access to your loved ones back home or any personal items,” Dhar told India-West. “And some people do end up missing those a lot out there. You can feel very isolated and lonely but I think me having gone through this experience of losing my house and everything has really mentally prepared me for being on the island.”

She became “obsessed” with “Survivor” in 2020 when she first binge-watched the show. “It was immediate love,” she recounted. “I knew that I wanted to be on it from the first episode that I ever watched. I loved how it was a tie of like a social game, the survival aspect, and then the challenges in the puzzle, everything about the show. I was like, I can do this.”

After about eight months of rigorous application steps, Dhar’s adventure began. “I was over the moon excited. I was shaking. So many people apply that you never expect to be the one to be called back,” she said.

Dhar went into “Survivor” with a clear strategy: building strong alliances to carry her through the merge, hoping to form a steadfast foursome with Sam, Sierra, and Rachel. “What I thought was best for the longevity of my game was working with a solid four,” she explained. However, the plan quickly hit obstacles beyond her control, like Rachel’s reluctance to team up with Andy, which inadvertently strengthened Sam’s alliances, putting her in a tough spot.

Still, Dhar didn’t shy away from taking action on the island. “I wanted to be a very active player out there. I didn’t want to sit back and do nothing,” she shared. “I suggested idol hunting. I wanted to help my tribe wherever I could, whether it was providing food or helping build a shelter or putting up the clothesline.”

Even with her best efforts to strengthen her connections and avoid playing too aggressively in the game’s early stages, her hopes of nurturing these alliances were cut short when trust faltered within her core group.

In the end, she said, “Survivor” was a journey of self-discovery, proving her resilience.

“All my friends and family were joking before I went out onto the island, like, Anika, you need to work out so much more. Are you going to be able to do this? They always challenged my strength and whether it was in a loving or joking manner,” she said. “And I think out there, I was able to prove to myself that I was so much stronger than I ever thought I was…”

Dhar said she appreciates her overall portrayal on screen but still wishes more of her strategy and perspective had made it to air, particularly the complexities behind her alliances.

“I don’t have any opinions one way or another about the edit,” she noted. “I obviously wish there were more moments and conversations that were put into the edit that were missing due to time…that I think would build up my gameplay and my relationships and showed a little bit more of what I did…Like the conversation between me and Sam is being told from Sam’s perspective. I would have loved for it to also be shown from my perspective.”

It’s rare for a contestant to leave the game without a sense of unfinished business, and Dhar is no different. But she’s grateful for the experience. “I’m happy to say that I’m seeing a lot more love than hate, which is very nice,” said Dhar. “But there will always be comments either way, you know, I can’t be everyone’s cup of tea. And I’m okay with that.”