Romance angle is must in BB: Jay Bhanushali

Post his eviction, Jay Bhanushali , in an interview with BT, said that Bigg Boss is not meant for married men like him. He added that he had to keep a constant check on his conduct inside the house because he had a wife and daughter
outside. This statement triggered reactions from former Bigg Boss contestants. So, is it really a disadvantage to be married? We spoke to Jay about this as well as ex-contestants and received a mixed response from them...

Romance is a must on Bigg Boss these days: Jay Bhanushali
Jay believes that a romantic angle has become a must on the reality show these days. He says, “The love angle seems to have become quite important in Bigg Boss. As a married man, I had very few options to explore as opposed to someone who is single. I am also a father and that’s like an added pressure; I would constantly think about whether I was conducting myself in a dignified manner. I had to be mindful even when I was talking to someone, making sure that I was not giving a wrong impression. Since I am married, even holding someone’s hand out of genuine concern would have looked odd,” he says.

You can’t openly flirt if you are married: Kashmera Shah
Finding a special someone seems to have become mandatory in Bigg Boss. Kashmera Shah, who was seen in the first and the 14th season of the reality show, says, “I agree with Jay partially. It’s better if you are single as a lot of avenues open up for you. You can openly flirt, which you can’t do if you are married. The reality show has gone through various phases in recent times. Earlier, the audience was more interested in fights between contestants and then it was about their performance in tasks. I feel they have suddenly become interested in love stories, especially since Season 13.”

Vindu Dara Singh, the winner of Bigg Boss 3, agrees that the show has gone through certain changes and can be a little restrictive for married contestants. He says, “Married contestants go in with a lot of restrictions. They have to be careful about what they do inside the house because they are answerable to their families. Singer Neha Bhasin also had a tough time on the OTT version of the show this year; she was trolled for her friendship with Pratik Sehajpal, even though she had nothing on her mind. I am sure people who are married will think twice before going on the show now.”

Today contestants go inside the house with an agenda to get into a relationship, says Deepshikha Nagpal
Deepshikha Nagpal, who featured in Bigg Boss 8 shares, “Being married is certainly a disadvantage as BB is more about romance lately. Aapka romance hoga toh aap zyaada dinn tikoge. Today, contestants go inside with an agenda to get into a relationship for desired exposure. If you are single, you can spin a love angle, which isn’t possible if you are married. As an established actor, you also worry about the reputation you have earned outside due to hard work over the years. You don’t want to be judged.”

Manu Punjabi, who participated in Season 10 of the reality show, agrees. He says, “Show ki majbooriyaan dikhne lagi hain ki ek affair toh hona chahiye and it will be judged for whether it’s real or fake. It has become mandatory for them to focus on a love story because that’s what the audience wants to watch. It is evident that the reality show is getting into the fiction space, especially the ongoing season.”

Just a love angle is not enough to survive in Bigg Boss: Paras Chhabra
However, not everyone feels that a love story is a must to do well in Bigg Boss. BB13 contestant Paras Chhabra feels that the reality show is also about friendships and forging bonds, and someone’s marital status is inconsequential. He says, “A contestant has to be interesting to make the show interesting, and that has nothing to do with his/her marital status. BB is not an easy show; it’s all about content and a love angle is not enough. Even a friendship is as important as a romantic relationship. If I talk about my season, Sidharth Shukla’s bond with Shehnaaz Gill came into focus much later. Before that, it was his friendship with Asim Riaz that became the talk of the town. Aap mein woh baat honi chahiye jo show ko interesting bana sake. Sidharth, Asim and I were paired up with Shehnaaz Gill, Himanshi Khurana and Mahira Sharma , but when it came to the game, we gave it our all and never stepped back.”

The problem post Bigg Boss 13, he says, is that some of the contestants don’t seem original. “We were original. The problem is that contestants in the subsequent seasons have tried to impersonate somebody else. You have to have your own identity, that will take you a long way.”

Being married is not such a disadvantage after all: Shefali Jariwala
Past winners of BB like Rahul Roy, Vindu Dara Singh , Juhi Parmar, Dipika Kakkar and Rubina Dilaik were all married. Times may have changed but if a person plays his game well, his marital status will not hamper his prospects. Shefali, who is married to actor Parag Tyagi and was seen in Bigg Boss two years ago, offers her take on the topic, “Being married has its own advantages and disadvantages when you are participating in BB. The extent of your friendship with another person largely depends on the understanding you have with your spouse and how worried you are about people’s opinions. I didn’t care about what others thought of me as long as my family and spouse knew me and trusted me. Since you are cut off from the outside world, you tend to forge beautiful and emotional connections with some people and gender doesn’t really matter. So, I don’t see it as a major disadvantage.”

BB is about love stories, but at the same time, it’s also about equations with other housemates, she emphasises. “At the end of the day, the game is all about being real and true to yourself. Those who understand it, survive and move forward in the game irrespective of their marital status,” she concludes.

A married person can be trusted easily and is more relatable: Karanvir Bohra
Karanvir Bohra, who emerged as the third runner-up in Season 12 and is married to Teejay Sidhu, says, “I disagree with Jay. Married people have advantages and disadvantages like singles. In fact, a married person can be trusted easily and is more relatable. Who says a married person can’t be aggressive? I was when the situation demanded in my season. You need to be real in the house. If you have an iota of doubt, then it means that you are not being yourself. You have to forge a relationship in BB, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a love angle. The bond is important. Just because you can kiss a girl or hold hands doesn’t mean you are invincible. Manu Punjabi and Manveer Gurjar were like a strong team during their season. The idea is to form a team.”

Married contestants who became winners of Bigg Boss:
Rahul Roy: Bigg Boss 1
Vindu Dara Singh: Bigg Boss 3
Juhi Parmar: Bigg Boss 5
Dipika Kakkar: Bigg Boss 12
Rubina Dilaik: Bigg Boss 14

Contestants who fell in love inside the Bigg Boss house:
Pooja Bedi and Skywalker (Bigg Boss 5)
Gauahar Khan and Kushal Tandon (Bigg Boss 7)
Tanishaa Mukerji and Armaan Kohli (Bigg Boss 7)
Karishma Tanna and Upen Patel (Bigg Boss 8)
Yuvika Chaudhary and Prince Narula (Bigg Boss 9)
Nitibha Kaul and Manveer Gurjar (Bigg Boss 10)

Benafsha Soonawalla and Priyank Sharma (Bigg Boss 11)
Bandgi Kalra and Puneesh Sharma (Bigg Boss 11)
Himanshi Khurana and Asim Riaz (Bigg Boss 13)
Mahira Sharma and Paras Chhabra (Bigg Boss 13)
Jasmin Bhasin and Aly Goni (Bigg Boss 14)
Pavitra Punia and Eijaz Khan (Bigg Boss 14)
Miesha Iyer and Ieshaan Sehgaal (Bigg Boss 15)
Tejasswi Prakash and Karan Kundrra (Bigg Boss 15)


READ ALSO: