Bigg Boss 19 contestant Gaurav Khanna admits he got ‘cold feet’ on meeting Salman Khan: ‘People asked why I want to do this show now’

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On Bigg Boss 19 audition and meeting Salman Khan

Gaurav Khanna revealed that he has been approached for the show for years but only now found the time to commit to this season. The actor said, “I didn’t have to audition for this. I had my doubts. Plus, I had a cold feet meeting my childhood hero, Salman Khan. Back in the day, I would have his posters plastered in my room in Kanpur. I am human, no matter how we are shown on camera, in the end, I am a small-town guy, very boy next door. So when you do something as big as Bigg Boss, you feel nervous till you enter. Once I am inside, I will not look back.”

Gaurav added, “I have been offered the show many times before, and that is bound to happen when you work on TV for so long. Every time I was offered the show, I was already doing another show at that time, so committing to such a long time wasn’t possible. This year, luckily, I had time. They called me, and we spoke over the phone. I was traveling to my hometown in those days.”

Opening up about his discussion with the makers, Gaurav shared that he isn’t worried about how he’ll be portrayed on the show. “I don’t remember telling them that I don’t want to be seen in a particular way, but I later got to know that a lot of people do that. I don’t have any issues; they can show me however they want because whatever is shown reflects what I’m actually doing. It’s a part of my personality, and I have no intention of hiding that.”

On keeping his Bigg Boss 19 news under wraps

Unlike many other contestants, Gaurav Khanna kept all information about his participation under wraps. Explaining why he didn’t do any media interviews, the Celebrity MasterChef winner said, “We had signed an NDA, that is why I didn’t even speak to any media before entering the show. A lot of contestants met with the media on an embargo scenario, but I didn’t even do that. I always like to stick to the text of the contract. I never think about what people think about me; I go with the flow. I don’t do something if I don’t feel it. If I feel something, nobody can stop me from doing it; I don’t think beyond that. Being real is not an act, it’s a trait.”

On what can fans expect from him on Bigg Boss 19

During the interaction, Gaurav shared an honest reflection on his reserved nature, personal challenges, and what he hopes to work on inside the house. “I am not very interactive. I never got to or had the zeal to learn social interaction. I am trying to cope with it, but now these Bigg Boss people have snatched my phone, so I will be four months behind the world. My strength is that I know and accept my faults and try not to repeat them. My minus point is that sometimes, even when I should not be thinking too much, I tend to do that. It’s something I need to work on; hopefully, I will use these four months to do that.”

Before entering Bigg Boss 19, Gaurav opened up about his mindset and said, “People being fake triggers me the most. I don’t get angry just like that. I get angry when I choose to. Superstars have haters, but no abuse or hate can bring real talent down.”

About Gaurav Khanna

Until 2004, actor Gaurav Khanna worked in the corporate sector as a marketing manager at an IT firm. He began his journey in the entertainment industry by featuring in television commercials and made his TV debut in 2006 with the show Bhabhi, also appearing in Kumkum the same year. Over a career spanning more than two decades, Gaurav has navigated diverse projects, but it was his stint in Anupamaa that brought him widespread recognition and immense fame. Following his success on the show, he went on to win Celebrity MasterChef Season 1.