Vikas Gupta: Stressful to keep looking good on screen

Having turned host with Ace Of Space, Vikas Gupta talks about how he graduated from being behind the camera to front

How different is Ace Of Space from Bigg Boss?
Bigg Boss barely sees any representation of the youth in terms of contestants. Like Bigg Boss, Ace Of Space too will focus on contestants living together, their friendships and fights. But the tasks are different, priorities are varied and it will also put the spotlight on the romance between them.

What are you expected to do as the mastermind?
I will help the contestants as well as destroy them. I am both good and evil. My motive is to help them break out of the identity that people have given them, so that they can rebuild and discover themselves.

Since the SC ruling has decriminalised homosexuality, will the show have same sex couples too?
I don't think we will be focussing on that aspect. It's a show that will be watched by all age groups from eight to 80, so respecting everyone's sensibilities has been a priority. Having said that, we are not going to shy away from the realities of life. We won't be having a caricaturish representation of minorities. There could be masculine girls, effeminate boys and homosexuals. The casting focus has been to get aspirational and fun people on board. The idea is to excite people to get inside the house. A few celebrities will also be part of the show.

Now that you have shifted from behind the camera to the front, are you comfortable in the new role?
I still prefer being behind the scene. It's stressful to keep looking good on screen. Now, I know the effort it takes. Having said that, the love you get from your fans when you are on screen, gives you a tremendous boost. Also, the power to change someone's life is a different high.

Would you say the Bigg Boss stint changed your life for the better?
Professionally, I can say that luck has been in my favour. It's interesting to see the kind of offers that have come my way. My lifestyle has changed. I have begun to love, value and take care of myself. Earlier, I would easily sacrifice my happiness for others; I don't do that anymore. Of course, I have made mistakes. Now, my focus is to be a better version of myself every day. This show too is an opportunity to showcase another side of myself.

What's in the pipeline?
I have two youth-based shows for ALTBalaji. Besides that, I am also working on the second season of Bad Company as well as Class Of 2017. I want to wrap these up so that I can concentrate on my feature film.

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