Neha Maheshwri Bhagat (BOMBAY TIMES; February 2, 2015)

Bigg Boss 8 winner Gautam Gulati says he will only marry an actress if it’s someone like Miss Bhatt
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; February 2, 2015)


What is the first thing you want to do now that the show is over?
I just want to go back to Delhi with my mom, spend time with my family. It’s been a stressful four months and I need to unwind. But there are a few formalities I have to complete in Mumbai first.

Have you thought about what you want to do next?
Yes, I have three good offers. I will be reading the scripts and decide which one I want to do.

Are the offers from TV or films?
They are all film offers. Just before I went into the house, I had gone to Cannes as my film Coward (Darpok) was being screened there. I got a chance to walk the red carpet and that changed my thinking. I want to do projects that are on a certain level now.

So, no more TV?
I will do TV only if there’s something interesting, big and as organised as Bigg Boss. This show has changed my life in a big way. I may do reality shows – the channel has talked to me about Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, which I could take up. If it’s a big reality show I will definitely think about it, but no serials for now.

Is the Gautam who went inside the house four months ago different now?
Yes. I have learned a lot inside the house. I would say, I have learnt about life in these four months! To be honest, it’s not been easy at all. The biggest reason for anybody’s downfall is his anger. I learned how to control mine, never to raise a hand — which I never did anyway, and not to use abusive language. Yes, there were fights but I didn’t give gaalis. I have also become dark and lost four-five kilos.

You came into the limelight because you used an abusive word against Karishma...
Yes, but I agreed I shouldn’t have said it and I felt bad about it. But my intention was not bad. It was something that came out of pain. In the task, she applied chilli powder on my face and eyes — even when I remember I get jitters — and what I said came out involuntarily. But uske baad ek jung shuru ho gayi. Everybody was against me and I realised if somebody wants you out, he/she will do anything. I was alone. My energy had drained and I was feeling low. Slowly, things started changing Salman sir and people supported me and I began opening up. But I must say, if Karishma hadn’t started the jung, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to prove myself in the show.

What is your equation with Karishma now?
It’s all good. Her mother hugged me, told me to forget everything and invited me to their house for lunch.

Will you be taking your friendship with Diandra Soares forward?
Diandra is a very nice girl. People from outside have been telling me that she was supporting me. Yes, things happened between us – Emraan Hashmi zone happened before we had a chance to talk about our relationship! There was attraction, but at the same jo cheez possible nahi hai woh nahi hai. We are friends and I won’t do anything that will hurt anybody. Many a times friendships survive, relationships don’t.

Are you saying this because your family is against the relationship?
No. Diandra is aware that I am younger than her and its (relationship) not possible. I draw a line, so there is a friendship.

Does that mean you will marry a girl of your mother’s choice?
It’s a different thing if I fall in love, otherwise, it’ll be whoever mom chooses.

Are you open to marrying an actress?
Ideally, I wouldn’t want to marry an actress, but if it’s Alia Bhatt, I will. She is cute, my kind of girl. She and I go to the same gym but we haven’t. I am a shy type of person so haven’t spoken to her.

What are you planning to do with the Rs 50 lakh you have won?
I will add some more money to it and buy a house in Mumbai at a good location. It’s time I buy one now. In fact, right from childhood, I had this wish that I should and will buy everything I need with my own money.

Gautam Gulati who will now take a break from TV to promote his Hollywood project
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 2, 2015)

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 16, 2015)

While Sunny Leone has appeared in several special song and dance numbers since her Bollywood debut in Pooja Bhatt's Jism 2, she has never featured in one alongside her husband, Daniel Weber.

Now, Mirror has learnt that the duo will star in a video that is likely to be shot later this month. A source close to the development said that the number picturised on the couple will feature in a web series.

A source close to the development told Mirror, "The makers roped in Sunny because of her immense popularity on the social media. She's an Internet sensation. But both Sunny and Daniel were excited by the concept and have agreed to feature in it together. The video will be a quirky number about stardom and fame. It also features Bigg Boss contestant Ali Quli Mirza."

While Sunny couldn't be reached for a comment, Daniel told Mirror, "Yes, we're doing the music video. Ali Quli will be singing the number. I have composed the song and I will will be seen playing the guitar in the video too."

Subhash K Jha (DNA; January 8, 2015)

Ajaz Khan, speaking from Lonavala where he claims to be confined until the Bigg Boss team decides on his future, says, “The new host Farah Khan called me a bandar. Why? She accused me of pakaowing the audience because I was talking about season 7 of Bigg Boss when I was a contestant. But if Farah ma’am claims to be such a big fan of the show, why was she getting bored when I spoke about earlier episodes? She didn’t even let me speak. The whole situation was very unfair to me. If Salman was there the channel would’ve had a hard time explaining why I was expelled,” says Ajaz.

However, sources maintain there’s no way Ajaz will go back into Bigg Boss after his physical violence against fellow-contestant Ali Quli Mirza.

Ajaz cries foul against what he sees as discrimination. “They called me to increase their TRPs. The junta wants to know how and why Puneet Issar, Sonali Raut and Pritam resorted to violence but were not expelled.”

Ajaz claims, “Quli kept provoking me all through the day. He raised his hands on me first. He kept calling me ‘naqli Shah Rukh’ etc. All this was not shown during telecast. If anything, both of us should have been expelled.”

Though Ajaz claims the Bigg Boss team has kept him confined in Lonavala, sources claim Ajaz has already left for Mumbai from Lonavala.

MUMBAI MIRROR (January 5, 2015)

Here’s what the contestants have to sign up for before they get roped in for the reality show
Vinod Talreja (DNA; November 7, 2014)

Reality show Bigg Boss has an iron-clad contract. There is no room for ambiguity. The contestants know what they are signing up for, when they initial on this 23 pages long contract, with clauses that cover everything from the behaviour of the contestant, to the prize money. BollywoodLife.com managed to get their hand on one such contract and gives you a detailed summary of the most interesting clauses that the contestants have to abide by. Take a sneak peek at some of the clauses from this and past Bigg Boss seasons:

Clause 1.2 (a) – Signing amount
Every celebrity is paid a bomb to participate in Bigg Boss. This particular contestant was paid somewhere close to Rs 8 lakh as the signing amount, which is payable within seven days of execution of the contract. And this signing amount is the minimum guarantee in case a housemate is evicted at the end of very first week.

Clause 1.2 (b) – Weekly consideration
Apart from the signing amount, participants are also given Weekly Consideration, if the contestant manages to stay in the house over a period exceeding two weeks. Obviously, Weekly Consideration is payable to a contestant only for the period of his/her stay inside the glass walled house. Last season, Tanishaa Mukerji was paid somewhere around Rs 8 lakh per week, which was the highest when compared to the weekly consideration of her co-contestants.

Clause 1.4 – Term of the contract
A Bigg Boss contestant is required to be available exclusively to Viacom 18 (producers and broadcasters of the show) for the period of 117 days, of which approximately 100 days is for shooting inside the house and the rest 17 days for the preparation, promotion, marketing and promo shoots.

Clause 1.7 – Contestants cannot interfere in the matters of editing and final cut of the episodes
No contestant is allowed to interfere in the nature and manner of editing of the programme. So let’s just say, if Ali Quli Mirza touched Sonali Raut under the blanket and he doesn’t want it to be shown on the TV, it can’t happen.

Clause 1.9 – Identity of the contestants
A participant is not entitled to know the identity of the other contestant. This year’s contestants, Minissha Lamba and Arya Babbar talked on the phone just days before they entered the house and they apparently strategised about their stay, which was a clear breach of contract.

Clause 1.10 (b) [3] – Criminal convictions have to be notified to the makers
Celebrities with criminal conviction (other than those already notified to Viacom 18) are not allowed to participate in Bigg Boss. So celebrities like Monica Bedi, Rahul Mahajan, Devender, Abbas Kazmi and Aseem Trivedi, who were criminally involved in some way or the other didn’t hide their identity from the makers before entering the house.

Clause 1.10 (b) [5] – No holy books. Makers will provide them
No celeb is permitted are not allowed to take any reading material including holy books inside the house. The producers provide holy books or scriptures to whoever who needs them. This season, Soni Singh got some puja ka samaan in her luggage, which was taken away from her.

Clause 1.11 – No talking with the media about the selection before entering the house
Participants are not allowed to liaise with the media about their selection. If they do then the producers have the right to exclude that particular contestant from the show.

Clause 1.13 iii and 1.13 (a) – Fine for leaving the house
The most important clause in the BB contract. A contestant is liable to pay Rs 50 lakh if he/she leaves the show mid-way. When Rahul Mahajan called it quits from BB2, he paid a fine to the producers. Similarly both Kushal Tandon and Gauahar Khan were asked to pay the penalty for their untimely exit from BB7. However, they both returned to the house and the rest as we all know is history.

Clause 1.16 – Re-entry inside the house
If an eliminated housemate is asked to make a wild card entry inside the house, he/she cannot refuse it. Last year there was a huge public demand of Kushal’s return inside the Bigg Boss house. However, the TV actor apparently refused to make a comeback to the show. It is after using this clause that the makers got him back.

Clause 2.6 – No obscene pictures inside the house
Contestants are not allowed to take any obscene and objectionable pictures with them inside. .

Clause 3.1 – Prize money after 75 days
The winning amount is paid to the winner within 75 days of the grand finale. And of course, the amount is subject to all applicable taxes in India on prize money.

Clause 3.2 – No sharing of the prize money
No contestant is allowed to share their prize money with their co-contestant. If they do, the makers reserve the right to remove him/her from the show.

BOMBAY TIMES (October 27, 2014)