Bigg impact

There’s an easy nonchalance about the way the actor assumes full command of a situation and it’s certainly difficult not to admire the man’s energy—right after this media meet,he’s off to Delhi for another one.

Seated on a throne-like chair,this is the first time Bachchan lets in on his role as the ‘pop philosopher’ on season three of Color’s hit reality show,Bigg Boss. This new concept—Bollywood’s Boss meets Bigg Boss,as the publicity material states—and Bachchan’s decision to associate himself with a show known for its controversial content,raised quite a few eyebrows. “What is life without controversies?” the thespian jokes,before explaining,“I’ve always been curious about human nature. I’ve often asked myself whether any man ever really shows his true face to the world or whether he’s always wearing a mask. Being part of this show will give me the opportunity to explore these questions and to,hopefully,come away with a few answers.”

The actor’s role as pop philosopher will see him analyse the behavior of the inmates of the house and contextualising events for the audience. He’ll even announce the evictions and talk to the evictees once they’ve left the house. So does this mean he’ll be a father confessor to the participants? “You could say I’d be more like an instigator,” says Bachchan,“I’ll provoke the participants into revealing their motives,their thoughts and feelings once they’ve left the house. The other participants won’t be able to hear them,so I’ll encourage them to speak openly and honestly.”

It may seem odd that a man who has known the worst of voyeurism,courtesy an ever-inquisitive public and media,should be part of a show that takes voyeurism to an uncomfortable level. But Bachchan refuses to see it like that. “It would be unfair to draw parallels between my life and that of the participants on Bigg Boss. The job that has been given to me is that of being a liaison between the real world and the people inside the house. We aren’t here just to spy on them—it’s to satiate a genuine curiosity about how a group of people will fare when shut up inside a house for a period of time,with only each other for company.” And would he subject himself to the experimentation. “Oh no,definitely not,” he chuckles.

Given the sexagenarian’s theory about people wearing masks most of the time,it would only be fair to assume that the real Amitabh Bachchan is still hidden from his fans. Bachchan responds yet another theory. “It’s my belief that most artistes,especially actors,are playing characters etched out by other people most of the time. But it would be impossible for a bit of the real person to not slip through. I’m sure that throughout my career,a shade of my personality has coloured the roles I play.” But he doesn’t guarantee that we will see the real McCoy on Bigg Boss. “You’ll only see what I choose to show there.”