OTTplay Bigg Boss OTT Exclusive! Zeeshan Khan says Karan Johar inspired him to take up acting

Bigg Boss OTT contestant Zeeshan Khan has been making headlines inside and outside the house. The model-actor spoke to OTTplay exclusively about his bathrobe incident and meeting Kartik Aaryan. Apart from that, he also spilled details about how Bigg Boss hosts Karan Johar and Salman Khan have inspired him in life.

Zeeshan is one person who has not only been excited for the show but is also certain that he will pick up the trophy. He also dished out details about his favourite ex-Bigg Boss contestant. Excerpts from the interview...

Did you instantly agree for the show?

Who in their right mind wouldn't agree to it on the first go? Main baal baal bacha hoon because when I got a call from them, I thought one of my co-stars was pranking me. We constantly prank each other on Kumkum Bhagya sets so I was about to tell the makers that I won't do Bigg Boss. At that point, I just wanted to play along and see what it was. When the conversation continued, that's when I understood that it was a serious call indeed. When they told me that they wanted me to enter the house, I was excited. It was like yes please, take me with you right away!

Did someone from Kumkum Bhagya contact you after you got the show? How did they react to the news?

I wasn't allowed to tell anyone, so I didn't. I had to give my dates to the production. Even then, I simply told them that I'm not available from the particular date onwards because of a huge opportunity that I cannot let go of. They asked me when do I want a break but I couldn't reveal that either so I said I'm not sure now. I had to convince them that I would tell them once I'm approved of doing that. They were very supportive and when I could eventually tell them all, everyone was so excited. They were all cheering for me and asked me to be myself. They said they love me for the crazy person I am. That resonated with me somewhere because it was always my plan to not do anything unnecessary for attention. I have faith in myself as an entertainer. I will bring that to the show. I know that I do things that are different. Let's be honest, who is taking risks like me right now? No one! I'm going to give it my all and be who I am. This is the explosive spirit I'm going with inside and I will come out with a trophy.

What level of crazy can we expect from Zeeshan?

Because this format is OTT, there are no restrictions and rules. Even with my blogs, I have to tone down myself a bit because of all the guidelines on YouTube. However, there's nothing like that here so I can come in the house guns blazing. "Guys, let's go, the king of Entertainment is here!"

What is the real Zeeshan like?

What you see in the vlogs, is what Zeeshan is in real life. I started them after getting a lot of love for the characters I played on various shows. No one knew how Zeeshan Khan is as a person so I put it out there. It's where you see that I do crazy, out-of-the-box things in real life. So I might as well record them and start my own YouTube channel and see how it goes. It started as an experiment. We got a great response, which is where I understood that people love me for who I am and so, I continued doing that. I did the whole bathrobe thing because that's something Zeeshan Khan would do. After it went viral, it opened up a lot of avenues for me, including Bigg Boss. I'm thankful and pat myself on the back for not being scared.

Will we get to see your quirky outfits on the show as well?

Of course. I've already done the white bathrobe and panda suit. Inside the house, it won't be a bathrobe but bathrobes.

Who has been your favourite Bigg Boss contestant so far?

Gautam Gulati. The attitude that he carried despite people cribbing about him. Even more so, he owned up to the terms and said that he is crazy. I noticed it and thought it was so cool because when you own up to something, no one can use it as a weapon against you. What happened? He was unique and won the trophy. This season, I know I am unique so I will win the trophy.

So can we say that is your strategy, to own up to who you are?

Yes, of course. Name one person out there who's doing things the way I am. I'll wait. There's no one.

What kind of tasks are you expecting in this season? Is there a limit for you, where you say no to a certain task?

No. I'm always up for new challenges and risks. I enjoy things that are different and taking on new challenges. Since this is a new platform, I'm also excited to know what kind of tasks are up our sleeves. I'm really excited for what Bigg Boss has in store and all I have to tell him is, "Bring it on! Let's do this!"

What are your thoughts on Karan Johar hosting the show?

I am so excited. First of all, he knows what entertainment is and has been entertaining India for years! I consider myself an entertainer and one day, my goal is to be the best entertainer in the world. I'm working day and night to achieve this goal. I hope I don't disappoint him. I also have a story that I will share with him once I get in the house and get the opportunity. Karan sir is a part of the story but he doesn't know about it. It is a story that has motivated me to work hard and not give up. I am where I am because of that.

What would be your reaction if Salman was hosting Bigg Boss OTT?

I would be excited because I have been a fan of Salman Khan since childhood. I remember when we had family gatherings at my grandparents' place, my uncle would play the cassette of one of my favourite songs Oo Oo Jaane Jaana. As soon as I heard the song, I would take my shirt off and play my green plastic guitar. If I didn't get it, I would run around the house asking for my guitar. I've always been a Salman Khan fan, loved his style, attitude and everything he has done. So, for me, this is like four dreams come true - being a part of Bigg Boss, meeting Karan sir, Salman sir and lifting the trophy.

You also met Kartik Aaryan by sheer coincidence. Did you guys connect after that?

No. How I wish! We were recording people's reactions about the bathrobe controversy. My friends would take their opinion and suddenly I would appear in front of them in my panda suit. The whole idea was that if somebody said something negative and I appeared in front of them, would their reaction change or still be the same? We didn't get any negative reactions. I'm a huge fan of cars and I saw the black coloured Lamborghini. Then, I realised that it was Kartik Aaryan's car. Then I pushed my friends to meet him. He is such a humble person. I am in love with him. We invaded his private space and he could easily have avoided us. We asked him for two minutes but it took almost 10-15 minutes. He still didn't say a thing. Instead, he was so humble and supportive and told us we were killing it. I really want to do something with him - meet him, talk to him and hopefully, one day, work with him. I think he's a cool guy. If my respect for Kartik Aaryan was 10, now it's 100. It was a small gesture but a very big thing to do.

What will you miss the most in the Bigg Boss house?

I could go the emotional way and say that I'll miss my parents and friends but what I'll miss is caramel custard.

How real are reality shows?

They are really real, man. A lot of people think that the fights are fake. They cannot be fake. A lot of times, when you are confined in that space, especially when most of us are used to living alone, it is difficult to adjust to living with so many people. After a point, it gets on your nerves. So, fights happen. At times, people even come with the notion that they will fight to be seen on TV. Even those fights are real because they trigger others. Even my friends asked me to fight in the house. They asked me to turn it around and make it my fight. I would be like, 'that's not me!' If I have to be someone else in the house, I'm going against everything I stand for, which is being different and having faith in myself. Why would I do such a thing just because I might stay back in the house? I can be me. I know there's no one outside being the way I am.

What's next for you after Bigg Boss?

The world!

Nothing on the work front?

We'll see. I think Bigg Boss provides a good opportunity. I come from a middle-class family where we have to work hard for everything that we want. So obviously this could be a big turning point in my career and I intend to make the most of it.