'I am not the kind of girl who would try to impress Salman or anyone else. And I don’t get impressed so easily too.'
Know more about Bigg Boss 9's contestants!
Bigg Boss 9 contestants have prepared themselves for a long stint inside the house.
The key players tells Rediff.com contributor Rajul Hedge what's on their minds:
Rochelle Rao: My boyfriend Keith will help me learn Hindi
Model anchor and former Miss India Rochelle Rao says, "I have been learning Hindi for the past two years but my goal is to learn Hindi in the show."
VJ Keith Sequiera and Rochelle confirmed reports that they were in a relationship before they went inside the house.
"My boyfriend Keith will also help me learn Hindi," she says.
Will she feel insecure if a female contestant tries to impress him?
"Actually, I will enjoy it because it's fun to watch someone patau him and then say, 'sorry babes, he is all mine!' she says with a smile.
Rochelle feels she will get along well with contestant Mandana Karimi, as they have some common friends, but only time will tell if they remain friends. After all, Mandana and Keith are partners on the Double Trouble-themed show, and they seem to be getting along very well indeed.
Mandana Karimi: I am not the kind of girl who would try to impress Salman
Iranian girl Mandana Karimi feels Bigg Boss is a good platform to connect with people. "It is the most watched show in India, hosted by the most popular actor, Salman Khan. I will get an opportunity to show myself to the people," she says.
She claims she is not on the show for visibility or job offers; she has already signed up for Ekta Kapoor’s film Kya Kool Hain Hum 3 with Tusshar Kapoor."
And she doesn't there to impress anyone, especially Salman.
"I have watched all Salman Khan films. Tell me who is not his fan? But I am not the kind of girl who would try to impress Salman or anyone else. And I don’t get impressed easily too," she smiles.
Even though she's Iranian, Mandira's relatives live in Mumbai. "I speak Hindi but with an accent, of course. It may sound funny but it should not be a problem in communicating with the housemates," she says.
Digangana Suryavanshi: All the relationships in the house are short-lived
Digangana became a household name with the telly soap Ek Veer Ki Ardaas Veera, and is the youngest contestant on Bigg Boss.
“I will become an adult pm October 15! It will be crazy to celebrate my 18th birthday in the Bigg Boss house," she says. She's especially glad that Salman may be a part of her birthday celebrations.
Digangana, quite mature for her age, says wisely, "All the relationships in the house are short-lived. Once the contestants are out of the house, everything changes."
"You will get to know me once I am in the house," she signs off cryptically.
Ankit Gera: My strategy is not to mingle inside the house
Ankit is a popular actor from the show Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke and was in the news for two-timing co-star Roopal Tyagi, who is also on Bigg Boss.
"I have never spoken about the controversies. And you can’t clap with one hand, right? Guys of my age are like that. If you are a celebrity, people like to talk and write about it. Everybody has their own share of link-ups and break-ups in their life," he says.
"People actually don’t know me, why these things happened. They will get to know me on the show. The show will either make or break me."
Since he has the Casanova reputation, will he have fun with the gorgeous girls in the house?
"My strategy is not to mingle inside the house. I am a happy-go-lucky person and do what my heart says," he says.
Will he talk to Roopal inside the house?
“I don’t think so," he replies. "I would advice her to be in the South Pole when I am in North. You can imagine what will happen if we are together," he chuckles.
Kishwar Merchant: A couple of designer friends have given me clothes
Television actress Kishwar Merchant claims she said yes to Bigg Boss only because boyfriend Suyash Rai is also a part of it.
"Suyash knows Ankit Gera. I am looking forward to bonding and gyming with him, and losing weight at least. I think he is health conscious; I keep seeing his pictures on Instagram," she says.
Kishwar has done a lot of shopping for the show.
"A couple of designer friends have given me clothes. I have shopped as well. I have seen the girls in the past seasons, and all of them want to wear short skirts and flaunt their bodies. I am not that type; I don't like to dress up too much. I will dress up like I usually do," she says.
Vikas Bhalla: Bigg Boss is a stepping stone to getting back in the limelight
"Bigg Boss is a stepping stone to getting back in the limelight," says singer-actor Vikas Bhalla. "I released a song called Yeh Dhuan, which became a huge hit and gave me immense popularity. I want to see that fame again."
He is very close to the show's host Salman Khan. "Salman is like my brother. I have a comfortable equation with him but I don't think my proximity with Salman will affect the result of Bigg Boss."
Vikas, who is married to Prem Chopra's daughter Punita, claims he will miss his children the most.
"My father-in-law is a chilled out person and he gave me a good piece of advice. He told me not to get carried away with emotions, to be calm, control my anger and think twice before I say anything."
Will Bollywood's biggest baddie's words help Vikas win television's most controversial show? Let's wait and watch!
