Shardul Pandit: I hope to get work after Bigg Boss 14

Shardul Pandit believes in being “real” on a reality show like Bigg Boss 14. (Photo: Shardul Pandit / Instagram)

Shardul Pandit, Kavita Kaushik and Naina Singh entered Bigg Boss 14 as wildcard candidates on Sunday.

Pandit has been part of TV shows such as Bandini, Kuldeepak and Sidhi Vinayak. He was also a radio jockey by trade and made headlines during the lockdown after announcing that he would be returning to his hometown as there was no work for him. Before entering Bigg Boss 14’s home, Pandit spoke exclusively to indianexpress.com and gave more details on his low phase of why he believes the show would open new doors for him and his attitude towards this season’s participants.

Excerpts from the conversation:

How did Bigg Boss 14 happen?

I think the belief that God will someday plan something good for you has come true in my case. In all honesty, I had given up my acting career and left the profession and the city when this happened. It is a great reminder that if you have confidence and talent, there is always hope and things can change.

Can you tell us more about the period when you were out of work?

In all honesty, I wouldn’t even want my enemies to go through a similar situation. And it wasn’t just professional, but personal too. I relapsed jaundice and my mother was also sick. Without a job there was an extreme financial crisis. However, I believe that anything worse could happen is over. The doctors weren’t even sure I would make it. We were in talks for Shehnaaz ka Swyamvar, but it didn’t work out. And then this lock came and stopped everything. I had no choice but to move out of town as I couldn’t even afford the rent.

There’s also a buzz that you made this up to enter Bigg Boss.

If I’m such a mastermind, I should get into politics. In all honesty, I can’t stop people from talking about me. They weren’t there when I faced these difficulties. And it’s pretty easy to judge others or make those garbage assumptions. Bigg Boss makers are not stupid that they would fall for this lie. I am sure they must have done their research well before taking me on board. I only had Rs 1200 in my bank account. I wonder how I could have done such a PR stunt with it.

Why did you decide to step in as a placeholder and not start from the start?

First, it’s not a placeholder. It was a creative appeal that few participants will take part in after two weeks. If you’re in a movie, the writer plans your entry. It was also not up to me to make up my mind, but I look forward to being part of it.

Don’t you think that would be a disadvantage if viewers have already picked their favorites?

Yes, and these participants got not only love and support for two additional weeks, but also payment (laughs). However, I would look at the positive side. Every season we’ve seen people say they don’t enjoy the show but soon get addicted to it. I am entering a time when people are already connected to the show. There were those Toofani seniors too. Who would notice others before these champions? So I have no complaints as this platform is very important to me right now, regardless of when I join.

How do you see the participants this season?

You are all very strong, Kaafi Kadak Hai. But I don’t think I can compete with them. All of them are already at some level while I’m here to restart my career. You have a lot at stake while I have nothing to lose. And so they are not my competition, nor would I be for any of them.

What can we expect from you on Bigg Boss 14?

Honesty, reality and a lot of tadka. I hold the Limca Book of Records to put on a show live for 19 hours so you can expect a lot of entertainment. Most people on reality shows want to portray themselves as someone who can fight in the blink of an eye. However, this is not a WWE show. I want to tell the world that I am an entertainer and I am looking for a good job.

Do you feel like you have more work to do after this show?

It used to be believed that actors who don’t have jobs make bigg bosses. However, we’ve seen some celebrities hit new heights after the show over the past few years. Look at Hina Khan, Vikas Gupta, Priyank Sharma or even Asim Riaz, they became such beloved personalities. So I am very sure that there will be more work to come.

You had also talked about your sanity during this period. Are you going to use the platform to spread awareness?

When I set that status, I got so many calls from actors saying they had experienced the same things but couldn’t talk about them. And the reason is because people feel like we are doing this for the public, or as you rightly mentioned, Bigg Boss. However, it is time people understood that depression and anxiety are like any normal illness. It’s a real thing and it can happen to anyone. Since Bigg Boss is a real show, I think it would be a good platform to share. As a celebrity, you can make money and fame from anywhere. But this would be an opportunity to touch people and maybe influence some young minds. If I could do that, it would be my biggest win.

After all, one of your best friends, Karan Patel, has been on the show a lot. Did he give you any tips?

He’s like a brother to me, but I really don’t want Karan to come in my season. He’d make such fun of me in front of the camera that I would be really embarrassed (laughs). Although he didn’t give me any tips, I learned a lot from him. There was so much negativity around him, but he never changed. And slowly people understood and accepted him. You also had to see what a fantastic person he is. So I want to be real on the show too, and I’m sure the audience will see me seriously.

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