Bigg Boss 3: Madhouse mania
The third season of Bigg Boss is a fortnight old, but the housemates have already started attracting attention with their oddball antics.
While Amitabh Bachchan, in his new avatar as host of the game show and pop philosopher for its contestants, tries his best every Friday to project normalcy, you don’t miss the fact that this year’s bunch of housemates have a streak of madness far more interesting than their counterparts in the past seasons.
Importantly, the show this season hasn’t wasted time in heightening the drama. The tried and tested formulae of bickering over food, engaging in petty brawls, shedding crocodile tears, pretending to be a nice person and the manipulation games started by the second day itself.
“The fights and the drama have started too soon on the show this year,” feels actress Kirron Kher, an avid watcher. “I guess these housemates have bigger egos and tempers. I’m waiting for the real drama to unfold.” Well, Kher might be waiting for bigger drama, but the early focus on drama has worked for Bigg Boss 3 and its airing channel, Colors. The launch episode garnered 4.6 TVR and the highest ratings scaled by the show so far has been 6.8 TVR, which is more than what most reality shows manage.
With ‘entertainment’ redefining itself with every Bigg Boss season, what new could be done? “We can have Amitabh Bachchan as contestant for a day inside the house to add spice to the show,” suggests ad filmmaker Alyque Padamsee, who tries not to miss even a single episode.
The Bigg Boss producers would perhaps do well to pay heed to Padamsee’s suggestion.
Meanwhile, the maverick ad filmmaker joins actress Gul Panag and Bigg Boss Season 2 winner Ashutosh Kaushik in rating the seven most entertaining housemates this season. We also look at their power to manipulate situations.
Vindoo Dara Singh
AKA: Weeping Hulk
Claim to fame: Actor-wrestler Dara Singh’s son and actress Farah’s ex-hubby
His strategy: For all his rippling biceps, Vindoo loves to cry at the drop of a hat.
He fights and then instantly cries. One moment he is venting fury, and the very next he is shedding copious tears because he vented fury.
In short, crying has become Vindoo’s strategy at manipulating situations and garnering sympathy votes.
On the show he is positioning himself as a strongman with an overdose of emotions, typified by the line he loves to mouth: “Mard ko dard hota hai” (a real man is not immune to pain). His furious showdowns with Poonam Dhillon (over laying plates on the dining table) and Bakhtiyar Iraani (over milk spilt on the floor) provided ample drama.
Draw-back: Vindoo has revealed
His strategy too early on the show. His over-the-top emotional bursts will soon seem boring unless he changes his gameplan soon.
Manipulatometer: 8/10
Panel Speak
Gul Panag: “One cannot make out what’s going on in Vindoo’s mind. With his mood swings and tendency to cry, he sure made people take notice early on. However his tendency to shed tears and befriend housemates will ensure that he isn’t eliminated soon.”
Ashutosh Kaushik: “Vindoo gets charged up only to make his presence felt. He wants to establish that he is Dara Singh’s son. Sometimes he intimidates other housemates or simply resorts to crying without reason. He should be his natural self instead of playacting.”
Alyque Padamsee: “A little control over his mannerism and temper would help him. He has started engaging in drama too early but the audience does not necessarily look for mock fights in a reality show all the time. He has to keep this in mind.”
Ismail Durbar
AKA: Smooth Operator
Claim to fame: Fading Bollywood composer
His strategy: So far, Ismail has looked like the sharpest among the contestants as far as scheming is concerned. He has been playing his game with control and has been amply manipulative. In fact, his deceptively honest attitude is an advantage. While most contestant claim they are being their normal selves on the show, Ismail cuts a different picture by admitting he is always “thinking of manipulative moves to avoid being voted out”. His opinions on most matters keep changing according to the need of the hour. He acted as a peacemaker between Vindoo and Bakhtiyar. And yet he doesn’t hesitate to instigate fights between Kamal Khan and other housemates when it suits him.
Drawback: Ismail is trying to create an image of an elderly, composed person. But he has been unable to hide his true scheming self.
Manipulatometer: 9/10
Panel Speak
Gul Panag: “So far, Ismail has retained the image of a serious person. He has been behaving as expected. At times, he shows his real side and that makes him an interesting contestant.”
Ashutosh Kaushik: “Ismail is playing his cards with care. He is not one to unnecessarily lose his cool. I think more drama and action is due from him later in the show. In any case, I feel he will survive on the show for a long time.”
Alyque Padamsee: “He is playing his game well. He has been a part of almost every fight but mostly as peacemaker or as instigator. You’ll never see him fighting directly with anyone.”
Kamal R. Khan
AKA: Chameleon
Claim to fame: Actor-director-producer of the B-flick Deshdrohi, which made more news thanks to controversies than its box-office score
His strategy: Clearly, Kamal R. Khan (or KRK, as he insists on being known) wants to push the volatile Deshdrohi image on Bigg Boss 3. He has been openly bickering, fighting and behaving rudely on the show. Notably, on most occasions the contestants at the receiving end of his fury have been women. Being impolite is obviously his mantra at garnering footage.
Also, he has been avoiding the house chores. He has tried creating a love angle with Claudia Ciesla too, but without much success.
Drawback: He is too loud and brash. His uncouth ways have seen him being nominated for elimination twice in the two weeks so far. If he wants to create a bad boy image, he is not doing it the right way. It’s working against him.
Manipulatometer: 8/10
Panel Speak
Gul Panag: “Kamal seems to be an amusing person. With him around there’s no dearth of entertainment. He has realised early that he’ll survive only generating drama on this show.”
Ashutosh Kaushik: “He is the only person who is not pretentious. He behaves in the same way in real life too. I know KRK as a stubborn man who wants people to acknowledge his presence.”
Alyque Padamsee: “He is one person on the show who has made no forceful attempt to entertain or manipulate. He has been openly flirting with Claudia and trying to woo her. The audience finds it amusing and the dialogues between the two seem interesting.”
Sherlyn Chopra
AKA: ‘Thanda’ Hot Babe
Claim to fame: Several steamy photo-ops, a couple of forgettable C-flicks as heroine, and a two-bit role in the dud Rani Mukerji-Shahid Kapur starrer, Dil Bole Hadippa.
Her strategy: Sherlyn has opted to project an image in contrast to her normally oomphy one. She had claimed initially that her presence would “make people melt”. If she has been one of the most interesting contestants, it’s just because of the wow factor associated with her in general. Her manipulative streak is mostly subtle, though she has had the odd showdown with Tanaaz Currim over a toaster.
Drawback: For all her scorching image, Sherlyn has almost been invisible on the show so far. Instead of being the ‘hot babe’ as promised, so far she has been seen scheming and plotting along with Kamal R. Khan. Till now it is clear that she hasn’t been able to find a foothold on the show and appears a little uncomfortable among the other housemates.
Manipulatometer: 7/10
Panel Speak
Gul Panag: “Isn’t she the one who claims to have the maximum number of photographs downloaded from the net? Going by her personality on the show, it is hard to believe Sherlyn is indeed that sort of a scorcher. She surely needs to work on her image if she wants to survive.”
Ashutosh Kaushik: “I think Sherlyn’s thanda approach is her strategy for survival. She doesn’t want to irk other housemates with her oomph at this stage. Also, she might be waiting for the right time to add some spice.”
Alyque Padamsee: “She needs to add some oomph in the show, given her image. Also, she needs to communicate more and make friends in the house if she wants to survive on the show. Till now, she seems undecided on what image she wants to project.”
Poonam Dhillon
AKA: Ma’am Hoity Toity
Claim to fame: One-time Bollywood star
Her strategy: Right from the start, Poonam Dhillon has been trying to present an image of a prim and proper lady. Even when she does indulge in the odd bickering session, she does it within the limits of civility. Poonam has been establishing a ‘goodygoody’ image by fasting and reading religious books on the show. She is also seen telling fellow housemates to avoid spreading negative energy in the house.
Drawback: After initially appearing a little out of place on the show, she has revealed her dominating streak. She makes it too obvious that she wants things in the house her way. Other contestants think that she is too hoity-toity.
Manipulatometer: 7/10
Panel Speak
Gul Panag: “Poonam Dhillon is just playing herself. She is too dignified and has been showing the real side to the world. It is important that people know that there is no need for the Bigg Boss housemates to be fake and bitter.”
Ashutosh Kaushik: “She has so far been quite polite. But just because she is cooking and praying doesn’t mean that she is not capable of scheming or forming her own gang. In fact, she has already formed a group in the house that will not vote her out.”
Alyque Padamsee: “Poonam needs to do something interesting on the show. We don’t want contestant who are forever cooking in front of the camera. The contestants should add spice and pep up the day- today proceedings.”
Shamita Shetty
AKA: Cry Babe
Claim to fame: Flop Bollywood actress, better known as Shilpa Shetty’s younger sister
Her strategy: Contrary to the hot image she pushes in films, Shamita has turned into the weeping wonder of Bigg Boss 3. Perhaps she took tips from elder sister Shilpa Shetty, who won Celebrity Big Brother in the UK by crying copiously over racist taunts. Shamita on her part hasn’t wasted half a chance to shed tears. At times she is seen crying over fights involving others, claiming she is unable to handle the ‘negativity’ in the house.
Drawback: Shamita may have launched her crying game a bit too early. In the first season of Bigg Boss, TV actress Rupali Ganguly tried the trick but failed. Shamita needs to show spunk in order to impress.
Manipulatometer: 7/10
Panel Speak
Gul Panag: “She has played the role of a vulnerable girl so far. She has a tendency to sob but what exactly is her strategy remains to be seen.”
Ashutosh Kaushik: “She is projecting a sensitive image. We have seen her crying and claiming to be concerned about the others. It’s a good initial move.”
Alyque Padamsee: “I expected more spunk from her. Instead, she is creating drama by crying. She looks unusual too in that saree-and-jewellery get-up.”
Raju Shrivastav
AKA: Joker
Claim to fame: TV’s most popular stand-up comedian
His strategy: Definitely the most entertaining among this season’s housemates, comedian Raju has used his sense of humour well. It’s working for him, clearly. Over the past two weeks, Raju remains the only high-profile contestant who hasn’t entered into a fight. In all this, of course, Raju has used his humour to manipulate. He doesn’t waste any chance to cast a snide comment on rival housemates.
Recall, for instance, how he jokingly said that after Rakhi Sawant, her mother Jaya Sawant was making a career out of Bigg Boss. He even mimicked designer Rohit Varma.
Drawback: Raju’s popularity itself could be his weakness.
Since survival on this show depends on whether you can escape being nominated for elimination by other housemates, sooner or later his rivals could feel insecure by his presence and nominate him for ouster.
Manipulatometer: 7/10
Panel Speak
Gul Panag: “Raju is a funny guy. That is his trait and also his strategy. To win, he has to be funny all the time. As of now, he is doing it with ease, which makes him interesting to watch.”
Ashutosh Kaushik: “His game plan is to survive by joking around. It’s an unusual strategy by on Bigg Boss and it remains to be seen how long it will work.”
Alyque Padamsee: “He has been successful with his jesting approach and has ensured light moments. He needs to incorporate drama in his act.”
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