Does he watch Bigg Boss? That was our first thought when Anil Kapoor was announced as the host of the third season of Bigg Boss OTT. The actor’s director-friend Farah Khan is known to be an avid follower of the reality show, but Kapoor is an unusual choice for it.

“I always wondered why the show works, why people love it, and why the participants behave the way they do. I have seen the show in bits and parts,” smiles the senior actor. 

Bigg Boss thrives on fights, scandals and controversies. In sharp contrast is Kapoor with his affable and gentlemanly demeanour. He cuts in, “How do you know I am not rough and controversial?” To the actor, who has done it all—from the big screen to OTT, from Hollywood movies to web series—this show is his next bet.

“I’m at that stage in my career where I cannot be doing the tried and tested. I started out with bit roles, did Telugu and Kannada films, and then became a leading man. I’ve always taken on challenges. One of the reasons for my longevity is that I’m always ready to take a chance, fail or have people make fun of me. That’s how you grow.” 

While Karan Johar hosted the opening season of the Jio Cinema offering, Salman Khan took the baton in the second edition. If Johar had a sarcastic take on contestants, Khan brought his brutally frank demeanour to the show. What kind of host will Kapoor be?

“We are three people with three different personalities. So, our hosting styles will be different. When I did 24, some questioned how I would be different from Kiefer Sutherland [who led the American original]. The same happened in The Night Manager [2023] too. But one cannot think of these things while working. Everyone brings their own persona to the show.”

By keeping contestants locked away in a house for months, Bigg Boss tests their mental strength, resilience and need for social interaction. If he was a contestant, would he be able to stay cooped up like that? The actor answers with an emphatic yes.

“Staying in the Bigg Boss house is nothing compared to where we lived and the tough situations we faced when I started my career. Living in that house would be a luxury. When I used to shoot for my movies in Kolkata or south, we’d sometimes live in rooms where there was no fan or air conditioner. We’d put water on the floor to make it cooler, so we could sleep at night and go to work in the morning.”