In Delhi for a brief visit, Sushant Divgikar is walking down Delhi’s Hauz Khas village, when a shout rings out “Sushant!” He turns, two young men have recognised him from his recent appearance in Bigg Boss 8 on Colors and want to take selfies with him. At a restaurant a few minutes later, a similar scene plays out, and Divgikar, 24, is charming as he pouts for a photograph with two young women. “On the show, people saw me the way I am, I did not act for the cameras, it is a completely unscripted show and I didn’t care about winning once I met Rekha,” says the model-actor, throwing his head back, his quiff struggling to stay in place. He says the meeting with the evergreen actor was a turning point for him on the show. “I gave her one of my grandmother’s bangles after she gifted me a sari. I’ve also gifted her a coral and emerald set after I came out of the Bigg Boss house. I’ve just begun my singing career and I would love to sing for her,” says Divgikar, who is full of beans about his latest acting projects.
Divgikar burst on to the modelling scene a few years ago, acting in TV commercials before becoming a video jockey for Style Police, Bindaas Video Wars and Atyachaar Ka Punchnama on UTV Bindaas. “But I didn’t just want to anchor shows. I continued to model and complete my education,” he says. Divgikar worked hard to strike a balance between work and completing his Master’s degree in industrial psychology. But showbiz beckoned and wouldn’t take no for an answer. After a stint on reality TV as part of Big Switch 3, Divgikar sent his portfolio for a lark to the organisers of Mr Gay India in 2014. He represented India in the Mr Gay World contest and was among the top 10, and won four categories in the pageant. But Bigg Boss 8 has been quite the experience for Divgikar. “The house is chaotic. You want to leave but you want to stay and find out what happens. I might have been a little naive but I didn’t want to misrepresent myself,” he says.
Currently, Divgikar is set to carve a niche for himself in international music. “My sound is soul and R&B and I am working on a few singles with Mark Bolton,” he says. There is also an acting project with Salman Khan and an independent American film. “I’m playing the lead in a mythological movie set in the Mughal era. We are likely to shoot in Delhi and Rajasthan later this year. All I can tell you now is that I have to butch up but still be a diva,” says Divgikar, tossing his head again.
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