It’s been a disorienting experience: Hiten on ‘Bigg Boss’

By Subhash K. Jha

Mumbai, Dec 18 (IANS) Actor Hiten Tejwani, considered by many to be the most dignified contestant this season, has been evicted from "Bigg Boss". He has described the experience as a "disorienting" one.

Speaking after the eviction, which happened on Sunday, Hiten said: "It's been a disorienting experience. I was away from everyone who mattered to me, completely cut off from normal life and locked away with these 18 different people whom I had never met. It's an experience I wouldn't like to repeat in a hurry."

Hiten says the reality of being out of "reality television" is yet to sink in.

"There is nothing real about what goes inside there (the Bigg Boss house). Everybody is constantly acting since there are cameras everywhere. I agree with you when you say this is is one of the most ill-behaved group of 'Bigg Boss' contestants. But who am I to be judgmental?"

He says it was difficult to keep his dignity intact.

"My self-respect was constantly attacked and I had to constantly remind myself to retain my dignity. Almost everybody was on their worst behaviour. I was determined not to become like them. No matter what it took, I had to remain myself."

To his shock, "Bigg Boss" inmates whom Hiten thought to be friends turned against him.

"I was finally left with one friend only, and that's Vikas Gupta. He stood by me right till the end. Yes, Vikas was loyal to me. While the others who pretended to be my friends, betrayed me."

So Vikas is Hiten's choice for victory.

"Ideally, I'd have liked to win... who wouldn't? I worked hard to remain myself because I'd have never been able to look myself in the mirror if I started behaving differently just for the camera.

"I thought my honest approach was being appreciated. When I was evicted, I couldn't believe it. Now that I'm out, I'd like Vikas to win. I'd most certainly not be happy if Hina Khan or Shilpa Shinde won."

Hiten says he is yet to come to terms with his experience.

"I went into 'Bigg Boss' because I wanted to experience what it was like. It was more disorienting than I had bargained for. I began to forget the names of people in my life. It got scary.

"Every morning I'd be woken up with the sound of that pounding music. I don't think I want to hear those songs ever again in my life. Nor do I ever want to wake up to the sound of music," he said.

His happiest moment?

"When my wife Gauri visited the Bigg Boss house. I can't tell you how overjoyed I was to see her. The level of isolation in that house hit me hard when I saw her there. I had been away from her for shootings. But we were always in touch. There was always the phone. Here for the first time, I was on my own with a house full of strangers. It was a life-changing experience."

Hiten says he wouldn't like to go through the experience again.

"It has exhausted me. Now I can't think of anything except a long holiday. Only then will I think of what I want to do next."