Indian reality shows often followed a predictable and outdated template for female contestants. Women were often expected to fit into familiar archetypes, either the vulnerable contestant who won sympathy and votes or the quiet, supportive peacemaker who stayed away from conflict while stronger personalities drove the game. Contestants such as Gauahar Khan, Rubina Dilaik and Tejasswi Prakash challenged that formula with their outspoken personalities and strong opinions, going on to win Bigg Boss. But in recent years, few female contestants have challenged the established reality TV playbook. Mini Mathur wins Alliance; Shreya Kalra wins Lock Upp season 2. With Shreya Kalra lifting the Lock Upp Season 2 trophy and Mini Mathur winning Alliance, reality television has now crowned two women who played the game in very different ways. Shreya embraced confrontation and never shied away from picking fights, while Mini relied more on strategy and her ability to navigate the game without getting pulled into unnecessary drama. Their victories represent two different versions of female agency on reality television. One was unapologetically loud and confrontational, …