Meet the 'Survivor 47' Cast! Anika Dhar is Used to Calling the Shots

Seven years ago, Anika Dhar and her family tragically lost everything in the California Tubbs wildfire. But the 26-year-old feels the experience mentally prepared her to handling the deprivation of Survivor, going from surviving fires to building them. A manager of finance and operations, Anika is used to crunching the numbers behind the scenes. And she credits herself as the one usually calling the shots among her friend group. But, as a project manager who has done her share of SWOT analyses, she knows how much that leadership can work against her.

Read on for my interview with Anika, and check in with Parade.com daily for interviews with this season's contestants and other tidbits. Survivor 47 premieres on September 18 with a two-hour premiere on CBS.

Related: Meet the Full Cast of Survivor 47

Interview with Anika from Survivor 47

How are you doing right now?
I am so hyped. I can't stop smiling from ear to ear. Every moment about this experience has been already so incredible, it's amazing.

Well let's hopefully keep the momentum going! Why don't you start by giving me your name, age, and occupation?
My name is Anika Dhar. I am 26 years old, and I am a manager of finance and operations at a marketing agency.

So you're crunching the numbers. Seems perfect for Survivor!
Crunching the numbers. Always gotta pay attention to the numbers, absolutely. [Laughs.]

Well, let's talk about what brought you out to Survivor. What's your history with the show, and what made you decide to go from fan to player?
So I am a COVID watcher of Survivor. Season 28 came on Netflix, and I genuinely mean this when I say that I watched one episode of that show and immediately Googled how to apply to get on Survivor. It was an instinctual need for me. I watched the show, and I was like, "Okay, this is the greatest challenge to exist mentally and physically. It's not a want, it's a need. I need to be a part of this game, to complete this challenge." And of course, all these moments throughout my life have really, made me so confident in my abilities to win this game. So when I see that first episode, I'm like, "I can do this, and I'm going to do this." And I'm doing it! [Laughs.]

There we go! Manifestation at its finest. Talk to me more about those moments through your life. What's one life experience you feel has prepared you the most for the game?
There's a lot of life experiences. But I think one of the most impactful ones to know specifically helped me mentally prepare for this. There's, obviously, a lot of things that can prepare you physically. But the one mentally was that my family home actually burnt in the California Tubbs wildfire. It was really shocking, very unexpected. Really emotional for me, my family, and my community. But what I will say is that I learned throughout that process and dealing with it how to live with nothing. So I think that that mentally prepared me, going through that life experience, to be on the island. Because without your phone, without your mementos, without your family, with nothing, some people can be driven crazy. But I think that, genuinely, that life experience prepared me for this moment so that I can focus on the game instead of thinking of things back home or thinking of things that I'm missing. I'm going to be so focused out there.

I would imagine that also not only allows you to look inward, but also at the others around you. It's the equivalent of the camp getting hit by a storm and you all have to huddle together in the shelter for warmth.
Absolutely. People also needing material items, that's not going to be a worry for me out there. I'm going to be able to focus on the game, think of the people who support me back home, and just be mentally clear, essentially.

I know you're a recent convert to Survivor. But give me one winner and one non-winner who you identify with the most.
Great question. See, there's so many winners that I love. So there's some players that I love to watch, and I will watch their game a million times. And then there's some winners who I actually think that are more closer to how I'm gonna play the game. I gotta call out Parvati and Sandra. I love Parvati. I think I could persuade people like her. I love Sandra, because I think I can be a little bit blunt and straightforward in my day to day, just like she can be.

However, I think I'm going to play the game closest to specifically Sarah in Season 34. Because I think that she was kind of friends with everyone. She was oi multiple different alliances. She played this very fair middle game, and I think she had a lot of people trust her. So I think a lot of people are going to trust me. And also, she did have advantages in the game. And then she also played a very honest and true game, but still strategic and still a little villainous. That was her goal, right? She went in that season saying, "I'm not going to play the cop, I'm going to play the villain." And so I think that's how my game is going to be. Pretty friendly to all, but I will be still playing advantages, and I will still play a strategic game.

[For a non-winner], I have to give it up to Kelley Wentworth. I love Kelley Wentworth so much. She's a badass, if I'm allowed to say that word. She has so many iconic moves. I could only hope that when I'm out there, I play my idol, and it's "Wentworth, Wentworth. Wentworth." That is my dream for it to happen, to play an idol that correctly.

I mean, I hope not! That means you got all the votes.
[Laughs.] I know! You're right. Actually, you're so right. Take that back! Take that back immediately. [Laughs.]

[Laughs.] Well, besides unintentionally catching votes, what is your biggest superpower and piece of kryptonite that you're bringing into the game?
My biggest superpower, I think, would be my experience being a project manager. Because in that role in my life, I've learned very well how to analyze different personalities and different personality types, and then tailor my communication styles to each one of them. So there's some people who are a little bit more sensitive and some people who are a little bit more loud. And you basically know how to talk to each person a little bit differently for the most successful outcome. And then I think my kryptonite is that I very well know that I can be a very expressive person on my face. And I've been told this many times in my life. So I know, going into this game, I need to watch this. [Gestures to face.] Because it is a telltale for if I'm annoyed, if I don't like something, if I don't like your plan, or if I do like your plan. I need to rein this in right now. [Laughs.] So that's my kryptonite.

Related: Everything to Know About Survivor 47

So you talk about your project management experience. Do you fashion yourself a natural leader? Do you think that's gonna come out on the beach?
It is natural for me. I would say, in my friend groups and in my life, I am the planner. I'm the person to go to. I'm the one calling the shots. I'm the one saying, "Hey guys, let's do A, B, C, D and E, F, G." But on the island, I'm going to play it very carefully. I don't want to be flagged as that person who's obviously calling on the shots. That is a red flag. That is a threat. So being aware of that, I think that, hopefully, with a very strong alliance, I can work well with my alliance and be maybe that leader within my alliance. Instead of necessarily trying to run the shots everywhere, be that leader.

Well, let's talk about the people that may be in that prospective alliance. As you've been hanging around your competition in the preseason, who are you picking up good vibes from?
Since before we even got here, when we were on the airport, the moment we hit the lobby, you're eyeing everyone and their behaviors. You're seeing who smiles back at you, who's giving signs of you're willing to work with, sensing their vibe. And I do have a few key players in mind, guys and girls who I would love to align with, hopefully. There's this one woman. From her bags, we know initials. So it's RL, very, very sweet. Seemed very calm and composed, and I can tell she's very smart as well. I think me and her, just from the eye contact already, that's all that was needed. Purely based on intuition, got good vibes from her. There is another guy, again, very smiling, very happy, very excited. I don't know his initials exactly, but he looks like a skater boy wearing his Vans. I feel also similar vibes with him. Again, very kind eyes, looks very nice. On the opposite though, am I allowed to say things?

Please! The library is open.
So the thing is that I find myself to be a very introspective person, and I journal a lot. So I'm keeping tabs on all of the people who are also journaling just as much, because, I mean, that's someone to watch out for. Because if you're as introspective as I am, that is a big red flag for me. So SP, those are his initials, he's journaling a lot. Got my eyes on him. Definitely seems like a strategic, smart player. Could be a great alliance member, obviously, if we're aligned. However, also dangerous to watch out with. He also seems like he could be a really big challenge threat. And then TH could be someone that I would align with vibes. She also very smart, you could just tell, but also seems down to earth. There's also things that I'm looking at at, like their behaviors, their mannerisms, how they talk to the staff. All of their little, little things I'm paying attention to constantly, and journaling about them immediately.

It seems like you're a comprehensive person. Did that carry over into your preparation as well?
Yeah, totally. So obviously there's, the long prep. So, while you're going through this audition process, it's so long, you don't know if you're actually getting on on the show. Furing that process I do want to study up on all the different seasons, and I do want to, obviously, start working out and gaining my muscle mass and all that kind of stuff. However, once I got the official call, the moment, from then to now, within that month, I actually gotta shout out Dee, the winner of Season 45. On the "On Fire" podcast, she said that she read two books prior to going into the show, which was The 48 Laws of Power, and Never Split the Difference. So immediately I purchased those books, read both of them. Props to Dee, excellent reads. So that was like how I was studying up strategically. On top of those two books, also other books. Like The Art of Seduction, which is not necessarily sexual seduction, but like seducing people and getting them on your side, playing to that. And then also, in general, working out, preparing myself mentally, amongst many of those things. Because I think my strengths lie in my social abilities, not necessarily my challenge abilities. I also do love puzzles. So I was puzzling on my phone. Every single puzzle app that you could ever download is on my phone right now. [Laughs.]

Well you already manifested your own "Wentworth, does not count" moment. What is your approach to idols, advantages, and journeys in general?
Great question. I obviously am not going to be a Tony in the season where he's running out to the forest and trying to get all of the idols immediately. I will not be running out Day One on the beach trying to announce that I'm looking for idols. However, my eyes will always be on the lookout. In terms of Beware Advantages, I mean, obviously we all say this. You want to find it when you're alone, right? However, I do think in this new era with the Beware Advantages, it does sometimes help to have an alliance member in on it. Just in case you lose your vote, or you know you need to be gone for a little bit or whatever, having someone watch out for you and have someone have your back, I think, is important. It all just depends on the scenario. I'm going to be looking; I hope I find one. I hope it's when I'm alone, and then I can share the news as I strategically plan to.

What's your hottest Survivor take?
My hot take would probably be that people don't play their idols enough. I don't think that it's embarrassing to play it incorrectly. I understand, as a Survivor player, that you want to play it with that Wentworth effect. You want every vote to be canceled out, which I think drives players to then prevent themselves from playing it. Because if you play it and then no votes are cast for you. I understand how that could be a little embarassing. However, I personally don't think that it's embarrassing at all. And I think that if you have any inclination, any at all, that you are the target, there's no harm in playing your idol, because it is worse to go home with it as a souvenir. I mean, we've seen it in the recent season a lot in 46, all [four] went home with it in their pockets. And then we've seen it in many seasons prior, too. And I understand wanting to keep it until Final Five, Final Six. But play your idol! That's my hot take. [Laughs.]

Finally, what celebrity or fictional character would you want to bring on a Loved Ones visit?
Oh, this is such a good question! First person that comes to mind is Rosalia. She is a singer. And the reason why is because, throughout this whole entire process for me, the one song that I listened to before any audition, before any interview, before any of this, to hype myself up, is a song called "Despechá" by Rosalía. And to have her be there with me on the island, just hyping me up, would be everything I ever needed, to just be full circle and have her there and have her presence. She's a powerful woman who gets me so hyped.

Next, check out our interview with Survivor 47 contestant Andy Rueda.