The 16th season of Bigg Boss has already been creating ripples. Once again, fan wars have begun on social media and that bears a testament to the huge popularity that the latest season has garnered. In an exclusive chat with News18, actor and former Bigg Boss contestant Shefali Jariwala shares her thoughts on the ongoing season and admits that she isn’t quite impressed.
She says, “To be honest, I think it’s a little boring. I feel everyone is being guided in terms of how to conduct themselves. That’s not how Bigg Boss works. We didn’t have anyone telling us what to do. But I guess there’s a change in the format this year. I’m glad that I was a part of season 13 (laughs).”
Quiz her about her favorite contestant this year and Shefali opines, “I saw a few episodes and I think Abdu (Rozik) is really, really cute and I say that by looking at him as a grown-up.” She also feels that the social media sensation from Tajikistan is the only contestant who’s entertaining and adhering to the format of the show. “What I like the best about him is that he’s a part of a Hindi show and has so much to contribute and is actively involved in everything that’s happening in the house despite not knowing the language. Hats off to him for that! He’s my absolute favourite contestant. The only person I see playing the game is him. Others are either just crying or fighting,” elaborates the Kaanta Laga girl.
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But she expresses her displeasure over how other participants have been treating Abdu on the show. “I feel very angry when I see people hugging and kissing him and treating him like a child. Poor thing! I want to tell everyone to not look at him as a short person but as a human being. I believe he’s a 19-year-old. Would anyone of us like it if people keep pulling us, hugging us and carrying us around? I wouldn’t!” Shefali asserts.
The 39-year-old entered the reality show in 2019 and though she was evicted within a short span of time, she thanks the show for making her who she is today. “I realized so many things about myself during my stint in it. It’s a life-changing experience for every participant. You either go on to become a better human being or turn absolutely messed up. Bigg Boss can have that kind of an effect on you. The show did to me exactly what I wanted it to,” she says.
The actor, who was recently seen in the second season of the web series Ratri Ke Yatri, further adds, “You know sometimes if you keep doing the same mundane things over and over again, you lose your mojo. But being in the Bigg Boss house helped me get my mojo back and understand that I’ve the fire in me. The show came to me and changed things. The competitive environment there either builds you or breaks, and it built me.”
She further reveals that she had been receiving the offer to be a part of the show right since its first season, which aired in 2006, but she kept declining. “I was too naïve at that time. Years passed by but I kept thinking that I wasn’t ready for it. I think Bigg Boss 13 was god’s plan. I’ve always say that I’m god’s child and I know that he wants the best for me. When that particular season was offered to me, something in me said, ‘Go for it! You’re good!’ My only reason to go to the Bigg Boss house was to have fun. And what a rollercoaster ride it was!” Jariwala recollects.
