One would assume that an actor of Ranvir Shorey’s calibre wouldn’t enjoy a controversial show like Bigg Boss. It’s been barely five days, and the actor has already engaged in a verbal fight and confessed that if he had work, he wouldn’t be doing the show. While Bigg Boss OTT season three may give him the much-needed boost, Shorey—who was approached for the previous 10 seasons on TV—claims he wants to use the opportunity to detox from screens.

“Previously, I was not in the frame of mind to do the show. But this year, it fit well with [my schedule]. My son Haroon [with ex-wife Konkona Sen Sharma] is in the US for a month-long summer holiday, plus I had no other major work. I also needed to detox from screens, be it for entertainment or communication. I was tired of scrolling through social media. I am hoping to get something out of Bigg Boss, not just Bigg Boss getting something out of me,” said the actor, who has been part of iconic movies including Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006), Bheja Fry (2007), Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd (2007), and Ek Tha Tiger (2012), among others.

Having worked with Salman Khan in Ek Tha Tiger, Shorey had hoped that “things could have worked in my favour”. However, Anil Kapoor took over the hosting duties. “Anil sir is a legend. He is a charming person. He has great energy and vibrance. He brings a certain youthfulness to the show. I am quite excited to interact with him. I hope he will also cut me some slack,” he jokes. Shorey adds that his strategy in the house is to stay physically busy, either with house chores or yoga.

While fights among the contestants are the USP of the show, the actor hopes that to spark more fights, the makers will not starve them. “I can use this time to physically heal some of my old injuries. I believe if you are physically occupied, a lot of your problems go away. [I am also hoping] they’ll give us the basic 2,000 calories that we need to live. They are not calling us [on the show] to kill us.”

While living with strangers on a limited food supply does pose a challenge, for Shorey, the bigger task is to keep his cool. “I am actually a very impatient and uncool person. So, it will be a challenge to keep my temper in check for one-and-a-half months,” he shares.