Exclusive: Yes I Am Doing ‘Bigg Boss’ in Tamil, Says Kamal Haasan

Salman Khan is doing a wonderful job of connecting with the contestants on Hindi ‘Bigg Boss’, he says.

So the undisputed maverick of Tamil cinema finally admits it. Kamal Haasan, whose plate is so overflowing that anything more on it is likely to invite indigestion, has taken on one more role. That of the host, dost, anchor, mentor, guide and moderator on the reality show Bigg Boss in Tamil.

Kamal Haasan admitted to the new job.

Yes, I am doing Bigg Boss in Tamil. I’ve tried many different roles in various capacities as an entertainer but never as a host on a television show. Reality television is so far not a reality in my career. I want to see what it feels like.

Kamal Haasan, Actor-filmmaker

With his overflowing commitments, isn’t this going to be tough?

Oh yes! As you know, I am running behind schedule because for eight months I wasn’t running at all, thanks to my fractured foot. I am now working simultaneously on completing the comedy Shabash Naidu and the post-production of Vishwaroop 2. The Bigg Boss schedules have been worked into my other commitments. Let’s see how it goes.

Kamal Haasan is all praise for his Bigg Boss compatriot in Hindi. “I think Salman Khan is doing a wonderful job of connecting with the contestants on Bigg Boss. He has brought the ‘Brother’ Back into Bigg Boss,” quips Kamal referring to the Bigg Boss’s original title Big Brother.

Salman genuinely bonds with the contestants on Bigg Boss. There is no pretension or patronising in his attitude. Being friendly comes naturally to him. And he gives advice as a friend, not as a mentor. There is none of the I-know-better superiority in his attitude. I’d also like to bond genuinely with the contestants, though how it goes will depend entirely on how they perceive me, as a friend or as a mentor.

Kamal feels his years of experience in dealing with human nature gives him an edge as a Bigg Boss host.

I’ve a fairly comprehensive gasp on human nature. Yeah, I think I’m qualified to give advice. Let’s see how it goes. Stepping into a new territory is always exciting.