I want punches, fights and love
Farah Khan is gearing up to host a popular reality TV show, adds that her next is a 'small, Rs 50-crore film' starring Shah Rukh Khan
Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 3, 2015)

It's a 'Happy New Year' for Farah Khan again. No, it's not time for "action" yet. She has no idea when her next project, "a small, Rs 50 crore film" will start. "I don't have a script yet, I'm going to enjoy myself for a month or two, then the idea will come to me," she says.

Any chance that she will make this one with another Khan? Salman maybe? "No, it'll star Shah Rukh. We've been discussing it for some time now. I don't see a film with Salman happening in the near future," Farah asserts.

However, she has accepted the baton from Salman to host a new series of her favourite reality show. Starting Sunday, Bigg Boss Halla Bol will pit the five champions of Season 8 against five challengers from the past, with a grand finale on January 31.

A self-confessed fan of the show, Farah insists that the new concept is her brainchild. She argues that except for Urvashi Dholakia and Gauahar Khan, many of the winners were too goody goody for her liking. Farah says, "It was the Rakhi Sawants, Sambhavana Seths, Dolly Bindras, Pooja Mishras, Mahek Chahals and Rahul Mahajans who gave the show its masala. I've always wondered what it would be like to watch Dolly and Rakhi in the house together," says Farah who is looking forward to having her old favourites, like Rahul Mahajan back. "He'd have won, had he not run out of the house at midnight. I'll ask him about the massage he gave Payal Rohatgi," she deadpans.

She has vivid memories of Dolly's fights, Sambhavana pouring water on Raja Chaudhury's bed, Vindoo "crying more than her triplets did when they were one" but doesn't remember the controversial Kamaal R Khan.

She has hosted many reality shows but this one is different as the repartee will come from how the contestants behave during the week. "I want punches, fights and love," she says, admitting she could spend one night in the house but beyond that, sharing a toilet or a bed with someone else is unthinkable.

The most disconcerting thing to happen to Farah so far was when she heard last year that a gangster had threatened to kill Shah Rukh, Mahesh Bhatt and her. "Now, I'm worried about Salman's crazy fans," she laughs.

She is taking over from the actor for a month and says it's like "going to Disneyland". But Farah insists she's only doing it as Salman is "unavailable", adding that Bigg Boss is synonymous with him, like KBC and Amitabh Bachchan.

"Mr Bachchan (Amitabh) was very good and the season he hosted had an interesting mix of contestants. But his personality is such that they were intimidated by him," she reasons. "They are more open with Salman. He's so involved, takes things personally and his opinions-good, bad, ugly and some which I don't agree with-are his own. With him it's all about being human, no pun intended, and not about being Salman Khan, the star. He says what he feels and that works for me as a viewer."

Who's she betting on this season? "I was all for Gautam Gulati who has that 'hero' quality, but now that I''m the host, I have to be impartial," says Farah who is looking forward to enjoying the perks of two years of hard work while hubby Shirish Kunder rolls with his next film.

"I'll spend more time with my family and clean my cupboard," she concludes.