So, a week before the show aired, when the opportunity to spend a day in the Bigg Boss house came my way, I joined in - a decision that stemmed from part curiosity and part excitement.
The contestants who entered the controversial house on Sunday
Locking up strangers together, with no access to the outside world, and filming them 24 hours a day is the hallmark of a classic psychological experiment. I always wondered how, year after year, a motley group of strangers give up their personal life to spend weeks in an environment riddled with mind games and voyeurism.
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So, a week before the show aired, when the opportunity to spend a day in the Bigg Boss house came my way, I joined in - a decision that stemmed from part curiosity and part excitement. In keeping with this season's theme of jodis, I was accompanied by my brother-in-law Harshal Karania in an adventure that saw two other jodis and 11 single people.
On reaching the house in Lonavala, I was relieved of all my possessions - including the phone, wallet and watch. It was a digital detox that I was looking forward to. I was handed a sling pouch with a microphone, which I had to wear at all times. As we settled in the house with the other contestants, it was easy to see the contrast.
Dipika Kakar and Karanvir Bohra chat with BB
The 8,000-square foot house, which would eventually witness spats and fights, was paradoxically designed on the theme of a beach house, with soothing colours. Soon, a familiar voice boomed, "Bigg Boss aap sabhi ka hardik swagat karte hain." Our cheers on hearing Bigg Boss speak quickly died down when we were asked to nominate two fellow contestants as part of eviction. Not knowing someone well enough became a surprisingly acceptable reason to nominate them. Four inmates, including Karania and I, were nominated.
In a classic example of shifting dynamics, Bigg Boss doled out his next order: those nominated for eviction would serve as judges while the inmates would perform the next task - to create a mock news show. Just when the nominees felt the power rested with them, came the next blow: the team that won the task could save one of those evicted. Fortunately, I was chosen. Clearly, the format thrived on power play, one's fear of uncertainty and the pressure to be socially accepted - not unlike the rules of the outside world, you may argue. The three nominees were sent to 'jail' - in Bigg Boss' signature dramatic style, the prison too was filthy and bore a strong stench.
From playing charades to singing songs, we kept ourselves entertained post dinner. I realised that within the confines of the house, the only way one could survive was by being at their social best. Aristotle's words - 'Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally is either beneath our notice or more than human' - rang uncannily true. Next morning, Bigg Boss instructed us to collectively zero in on one member for eviction - Karania was chosen and asked to leave the house. Karania says, "Spending 24 hours in the house was a fun experience."
Later, Bigg Boss' voice boomed again: our stay had come to an end. I left the house proud that I survived a day without technology. But also aware that our primal instinct of self-preservation manifests in different forms - sometimes by putting your best foot forward; at other times, by being a silent spectator.
89
The number of cameras inside the Bigg Boss house
Also Read: Shaleen Bhanot: Didn't enter Bigg Boss for my son's sake
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