‘When I was a nobody, I had attitude’: Khatron Ke Khiladi 14 contestant Abhishek Kumar

Also Read: Abhishek Kumar reveals how a casting couch incident left him feeling suicidal: ‘I met a gay person, he tried to do something inappropriate with me’

Sharing it was not a very easy decision to make given his claustrophobia, Abhishek said, “After a lot of meetings, pondering over it and speaking to a lot of people, I said yes to doing the show. It was a very tough decision to make because of claustrophobia. I have an injury to my right hand. I met with an accident as a child, so my holding power is very low. I cannot swim. I saw all tasks and realized that not every task would require me to use the right hand, that’s when I decided to take on the show.”

Abhishek also shared he spoke to a lot of other actors who have participated in the show or the ones he has worked with, namely, Ravi Dubey, Karan Wahi, Ankit Gupta, Arjun Bijlani, Shalin Bhanot, Arjit Taneja, “And they all said it’s a lifetime experience so do not miss it,” adds the Bigg Boss 17 runner-up.

Abhishek also revealed that he tried hard to convince Ankit Gupta to join the show. “I convinced Ankit and Shalin to join me on the show, but Ankit got a show, so he couldn’t. Shalin too had a show, but it got delayed. Shalin and I even had a deal that he would help me make a girlfriend in Romania (laughs).”

Claiming to hasn’t prepared for the season, Abhishek Kumar shared that the contestants should consider him a strong competitor. He even mentioned that it is a tough lot to participate in the show this time. However, one of Abhishek’s major concerns is not letting down Rohit Shetty. “I don’t want to disappoint Rohit sir with my performance. I want to return with the trophy. It’s a tough competition this time. The show is about being mentally strong, physical strength has its limitations. Every year the scale goes higher, and I am dreading the current tasks.” he says.

Abhishek’s fear of claustrophobia is a serious one. It has led the actor to climb 13 floors at times, and he wishes to overcome it. Abhishek revealed the first time he encountered it, “I got stuck in a lift when I was in Class 11 in Chandigarh. It was a small lift that could only accommodate two people. I fainted there and since then I have had the fear, it was my first encounter with claustrophobia. I cannot walk in isolated lanes, I feel claustrophobic in my house too.”

On a parting note, Abhishek also shared how Bigg Boss 17 has changed him for the good. He said, “I have become more grounded and balanced now. Bigg Boss has taught me to value things in life, and value relationships. I value my family a lot more. I don’t waste any food now. When I was a nobody, I had an attitude, but now I have become more humble. I meet people with a lot of love, I don’t want to feel like a celebrity.”