 "Bigg Boss OTT: Neha Bhasin, Ridhima Pandit, Pratik Sehajpal on joining reality show, fears, and strategies to win")
Only a few hours remain before Neha Bhasin enters the Bigg Boss OTT house, and she is riddled with anxiety. She explains her decision to become a part of the reality show was on a whim: “I think I said yes in a moment of insanity.”
Bhasin will join 11 other contestants who will spend six weeks together in the Bigg Boss house. The show, hosted by Karan Johar, had its premiere on Sunday. It’s a prelude to Bigg Boss 15, and whoever wins this edition, will secure a spot on the Colors show that’s expected to air in October. This edition of the reality show has completely novel concept; besides a juicy hour long episode, the audience also have 24x7 access to all housemates.
With the theme being “Stay Connected”, the makers have given viewers the power to decide tasks, punishments and eliminations. Joining Bhasin are Shamita Shetty, Raqesh Bapat, Karan Nath, Zeeshan Khan, Ridhima Pandit, Urfi Javed, Divya Agarwal, Akshara Singh, Pratik Sehejpal, Nishant Bhat, Muskaan Jattana and Milind Gaba.
[caption id=“attachment_9873261” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Neha Bhasin[/caption]
Karan Nath, who made his Bollywood debut with Paagalpan (2001) and was later seen in films Yeh Dil Aashiqanaa, Tum - A Dangerous Obsession, Sssshh…. and Tera Kya Hoga Johnny. He’s warned his friends and family to not panic upon seeing his different, competitive avatar.
[caption id=“attachment_9873271” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Karan Nath[/caption]
“My folks know me as a very calm and composed person. It is possible that they will see another side of me when I am inside the house because Bigg Boss house changes the mindset of the calmest of people. It is a great show to test your patience and mental strength. I have told them that they should not be shocked. That would be the biggest challenge for me. Everyone should be ready to see me in different moods. I am not able to say how I will react in different circumstances but it will be something interesting for everyone to see. I hope I am able to make it to Salman’s show,” he says.
For Bhasin, the biggest challenge will be to live without her phone, gadgets, and most of all, her “entourage”. “I am so used to being with my team all the time, and here I will be entering the house all alone. I am not even used to zipping my own shirt at the back in daily life. We are so used to people doing things for us and suddenly if you are left on your own…I am already feeling like an orphan. I am really getting scared but since I am a people’s person, once I see everyone else inside I will be fine. Other people will bring some comfort,” said Bhasin.
On the other hand, model-actress Ridhima Pandit is worried about losing her freedom inside the house. “Our freedom is going to be taken away. Even in jail they give inmates newspapers to read, and sometimes they are given access to television but here we have nothing,” she sighs.
Nath hopes to revive his acting career after being away from the big screen for a a very long time. He’s also ready to tackle any controversies that come his way. “My patience level has been tested many times in the past. Your mind has to be strong and I am quite capable of handling difficult situations. You can feel the hunger inside me. I am quite geared up for this and it will be great fun. I also feel I will be bouncing back in my career. I hope to win the show, I always make an effort,” said Nath, who cites season one winner Rahul Roy and season 13 winner Siddharth Shukla as inspirations.
[caption id=“attachment_9873291” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Pratik Sehajpal[/caption]
Pratik Sehajpal, a law graduate from Delhi who entered the reality TV domain with Love School also intends to turn his career around with Bigg Boss. “Bigg Boss is a big platform. Popularity of people has sky-rocketed, take for instance Sunny Leone who made her first appearance on the show Also Hina Khan; even those who the audience found negative have done well in their career after participating in the show,” he explains.
Sehajpal made tabloid headlines when he was dating former Bigg Boss contestant and actress Pavitra Punia. Punia’s love life was often discussed in Bigg Boss 14, and his name often cropped up. The actress had also called revealed details of their break-up, and called him aggressive. “Whatever comes, I will face it. Last season Pavitra said things about me and that made headlines. So if those controversies come back this year, it is okay. I have handled everything in my life on my own; I have answers to every question that anyone can raise at me. I am a real person, I am transparent. But if someone hurts my heart they will hurt their face,” he says.
Most contestants spoken to don’t believe in planning or strategising before they enter the house. “I really can’t strategise how much ever I want to because I have never been in such circumstances. Planning and plotting is done by people who are scared and only they think how they will behave, how they will react. I am fearless and I am someone who is always in the moment,” says Sehajpal.
Nath also speaks along similar lines: “I don’t have any game plan. I am not someone who plans things; I take one day at a time. I go with the flow and do what my heart desires. I will listen to my heart and take on the spot decisions inside. The only plan is not to become insane inside the house."
While many of the contestants aim at reviving their sagging career, there are others who want to discover their ‘true’ personality. “Usually people do the show when they need some kind of a push in their career but I am doing it when one of my biggest projects, Ekta Kapoor’s web series Cartel is coming out and I have a very strong role in that show. So everything is fine outside and I am doing Bigg Boss just to showcase my personality and discover myself,” says Divya Agarwal, winner of MTV Ace Of Space and also a runner-up on Splitsvilla.
[caption id=“attachment_9873301” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Divya Agarwal[/caption]
Agarwal entered the show as a special guest on Bigg Boss 11 when her ex-boyfriend Priyank Sharma was one of the contestants. “When I came on the show earlier at that time I was scared, I was apprehensive but she had that honesty in her and this time it will be the same mantra which is honesty. I am not stressed. Priyank has given me a few tips and if people think there will be some blast from the past then I am sorry I will be letting people down. My strategy is to put everybody in their place and be honest. Some time back I was khabri Divya. I was working behind the cameras and I understand the show very well,” says Agarwal.
Besides discovering herself in different situations and circumstances inside the house, Bhasin is candid enough to admit that she wants to add more numbers to her fan following. “Bigg Boss has so many fans and I would like to add a few and take them forward in other aspects of my life which I am good at like singing, music…I would like to connect with India at large. I know it is not a sane platform but who knows I may be able to bring something positive inside."
She furthers, “The point in going inside is to be yourself and let people decide whether they like you or not. The show has evolved and that is one of the reasons for me considering it. The country, the common man, the janta connects to the show and that is my number one reason to do it. Otherwise, of course, it is an insane move (laughs). Your reach increases…if two million people are listening to my music, over the time it could be 20 million. It is about taking an audience and making them fall in love with you. I will also get to entertain people with my singing and that is an advantage.”
“I have no option but to be myself because how does one fake it for 24 hours? I may also have a trigger point and I am sure everyone will discover each other’s trigger point after a point. Six weeks is rather less time but if you progress into Salman Khan’s version then it is a long halt again, so I have to be myself,” adds Pandit.
[caption id=“attachment_9873311” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Raqesh Bapat[/caption]
Quite obviously, most of the contestants are excited about Johar hosting the show as Raqesh Bapat, a television actor, says, “I am loving the fact that Karan is hosting it. It’s going to add up a different colour because his style is different from Salman. It is going to be spunky and probably a laughing riot.”
“I am super excited to have Karan host the OTT version, I am a big fan of his films and chat shows,” adds Pandit, who considers the reality show to be personality contest than anything else. “Most of us in the first 10 days would be at our best behaviour but eventually that will wear of and then your basic values will come into play. About certain things I am not sure how I will deal with, or how am I going to give it back, it is all a mystery to me as well. But overall I feel this is a personality contest to see who you are, what is going to make you shine or dip.”
Bigg Boss OTT is streaming on Voot Select.
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