Ashneer Grover says ‘let there be comparisons’ of Rise and Fall with Bigg Boss 19, reveals what he’s learnt from Salman Khan: ‘Watch episodes yourself, don’t go by…’

I found it very, very interesting. Reality shows have become quite one-dimensional now. The contestants are just put in a horizontal house, and then they try to survive. But in real life, it doesn’t work like that, right? There’ll be people who’ll always be blessed and have resources, and there’ll also be people who’ll have to start from scratch. What we’re doing in this show is dividing the contestants into ‘rulers’ and ‘workers’. Rulers have it all from Day 1. They’re living a luxurious life in the penthouse, and take the important decisions. But workers have to do all the jobs. They live in the basement and are surviving on just the basics. This divide will bring a new element to the competition. That’s the experiment with the show.

The concept is quite Victorian. We’ve seen in shows like Downton Abbey that the rulers live luxuriously in a mansion while the staff manage in the basement. But these inequalities still exist in India. What do you think is the reason behind such a wide gap?

The reason for that is very simple: We’re too big a population. 140 crore is too many people for a country like India. We’ve to become developed. Once that happens, this inequality also comes down.

But that’s easier said than done. If the Indian government appoints you as the Social Justice Minister, what would you do?

No, I don’t think any government is reaching out to me (laughs)! Hypothetically, it’s very simple: it’s all about economics. You can’t be taking away money from people who have it and distributing among those who don’t. You have to create enough employment for everyone and let everyone work for what they earn. Hopefully, the powers that be will also do the right thing.

Who do you think has the edge over other contestants in the show, from your experience of shooting with them?

I’ve previously shot with Kiku Sharda on The Kapil Sharma Show. He’s amazingly hilarious and has a different energy to him. But I’ve not worked or shot with others at all, so it’d be very hard for me to comment on them. This is a question I can answer at the end of the show when I’d have interacted with all of them.

What kind of a host are you going to be?

You’ll get to see my role as a host as the show unravels. One thing I can make very clear to you is I’m not playing the role of a conventional host. I’m not here to move things forward, but shake things up. My style is going to be more genuine. I can’t do scripts. I’m not an actor. I fail miserably if anything is given to me in writing. It’s easier to speak what’s on my mind. I can’t do it if it’s written on a piece of paper. Hopefully, that genuineness will come on the screen as well.

Do you see this quality of speaking what’s on your mind as an asset or a liability?

I don’t think it’s a liability, but it becomes the cost of being you. But it’s okay, how does it matter? There’s no other way I know how to be. And I’m fine with it. Of course, sometimes you have to pay a price. People misconstrue and also take advantage of it, but that’s fine. I wouldn’t be any other way.

Since networking is a huge part of business, isn’t being so straightforward not a bad business decision?

Of course, I had a very public fallout with my own investors. I’ve seen the worst of being very vocal. But it doesn’t matter to me. I feel you should be happy in your own skin, the way you are. And that’s what I like doing.

‘Doglapan‘ is a term associated with you since your Shark Tank India days. Do you think that should be a strategy the contestants should embrace in the show, or should they be honest like how you are?

They both are good strategies. I think it’s about what you can do more consistently. This game is very different. It’s about working your way up and maintaining your position. And that would require a certain level of diplomacy, street smartness, and getting along with people. I think that should really come out in the show. If I were a contestant, I don’t know the doglapan part of it. I’d rather be myself.

Memes on doglapan are still getting churned out. How do you react to those?

Memes started coming out when I was on Shark Tank, and they’ve been circulating since then. Everything was very, very organic. It’s good to see people liking your way of doing things. But it’s been sometime now. It’s been three years. So, maybe people are now looking for something different. They may get it from this show, hopefully.

Prime Video India did another new successful reality show in Traitors this year. Do you feel Rise and Fall will be compared to that?

I haven’t seen Traitors, I just know of it. If I’m not wrong, that was based more on the game Mafia. This is very different in the sense that we’re dividing the house into two. Both the groups have to work towards increasing their prize money while also ensuring they don’t get thrown down. So, there are multiple elements to it. It’s not about keeping a secret, which a show like Traitors is about. You may either be in the best place, the penthouse, or the worst place, the basement, but you could come out a winner from either place. That’s the beauty of it.

Do you fear it’ll be slotted against Bigg Boss 19, given your history with Salman Khan last season?

Nahi yaar, fear kya hai? (Why fear?). We’ve launched a new product in the market. It’s a free market. If you launch a new soap in the market and ask not to be compared to other soaps out there, that’s strictly your perception. If people are going to use it for a certain purpose, they’re going to slot you into a certain box. If this follows the reality show format, people are going to club it with other reality shows like Bigg Boss, which has been around for 19 years. So yeah, let there be comparisons. It’s not like my show is going to shut down because of that. It’s a free market, and you’ve to take that in your stride.

Is there something you’ve picked up as a host from Salman?

One thing I’ve clearly picked up is that you’ve to watch the episodes yourself. You can’t be a part of the show and only go by what’s told to you about what happened on the show. Only if you watch the show will the genuine remarks and comments come out.

What would be your mantra to someone who’s falling in life for them to rise again?

Nothing, just don’t overthink it. Fall happens in everyone’s life. People just don’t talk about it because they somehow think hiding it has more value than admitting it. It’s nothing new that’s happening to you, so don’t self-victimize yourself.

Also Read — Ashneer Grover says he rejected Bigg Boss offer, would agree only if he gets higher fee than host Salman Khan: ‘No hard feelings’

Finally, the internet broke at the sight of a slimmed down Ashneer Grover. How has that journey of weight loss been like?

When you see yourself in the mirror, you just feel you look like Hrithik Roshan (laughs). But when you go on screen, you realize you’re more Manoj Pahwa. That’s what happened to me as well. When I was on Shark Tank, people kept referring to me as “mota shark.” I assumed they’d be referring to Peyush Bansal, because how could I be fat? But then I realized they’re talking about me. So yeah, you become more aware when you watch yourself on screen. You feel looking good is also a big part of the deal. Being on this show was like a target that you’ve to go back on the screen, so you can’t be lax. I’d lost weight a couple of years ago, then I gained a few kilos too. Had I done that today, it’d have been easier, thanks to Ozempic (laughs).

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