MUMBAI: Eijaz Khan’s exit from 'Bigg Boss 14', citing a prior work commitment, has left his fans shocked and disappointed. Talking to BT about the tough decision that he took just four weeks ahead of the reality show’s finale, the actor says, “According to the original schedule, the finale of BB was to be held on January 15, and my contract with them was till then. On the other hand, the shoot of my web series was stalled in February last year and even before I entered the house, there were talks about it getting restarted. As luck would have it, by the time my entry in 'BB' was almost finalized, the makers of the series asked for my dates. I chose the reality show at that point because I was not sure if the shoot of the series would actually commence. But now that it has started, I decided to leave 'BB'. Main zubaan ka pakka hoon. It was a tough call as I was just four weeks away from the finale and could have been a strong contender.”
As re-entries are common in 'BB', will we see him make a comeback as well? “Initially, the makers thought that it would be impossible as it’s too close to the finale. However, they said that they will try something. I have given my blood, sweat and tears to this show, so I feel that my fans will feel cheated if I exit just like that. So, my primary responsibility now is to go back and win it for them,” he replies.
Eijaz is optimistic about actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee, who was a part of 'BB 13', being roped in as his proxy on the show. “I haven’t seen her game, but she seems sorted and says exactly what she wants to. The best part is that she has seen a few episodes of 'BB 14', and during the last task, both of us surprisingly chose Nikki Tamboli and gave the same reason without consulting each other,” he shares.
The actor seems to have a lot of trust issues, which came to the fore during his stint on the show. Point that out and he says, “I don’t find it difficult to trust people, I trust everyone till they break my trust. I was arrogant enough to go inside the house without having watched any season of BB. I might have played better if I had done that, but what trained me for the show was life. I have been more self-critical than any of the other contestants. My journey inside the house has been more inward — breaking myself every day, bringing the pieces together and building myself again... After a certain point, you can’t break any more. All false perceptions about yourself get ripped apart and what remains is real. And, that is the best therapy anyone can ask for.”
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Another highlight of his journey on 'BB' has been his equation with fellow contestant Pavitra Punia. Forging a romantic relationship on the show could be easily assumed as a ‘game strategy’, but Eijaz says, “There is no better place to realise the reality of a person than the BB house. The whole sham of Pavitra being a tough girl was busted; she is quite soft-hearted. In fact, she is the most caring person I know. Woh jis tarah se dhyaan rakhti hai, saaf safaai karti hai apna samajh kar. She has been cooking for me (smiles!). My fourth call after leaving the house was to her. After I left my dad, I have spent the longest time with her since my exit to understand the unsaid. A lot of things needed to be addressed, not just about her past, but also what we think of each other. We aren’t kids, we are not in the dating game, and we have had our heartbreaks. Let me put it this way, people who think my equation with Pavitra is fake, are fake themselves.”
So, what was his conversation with Pavitra all about? Eijaz replies, “Every decision will be taken keeping in mind our well-being. This is only possible by developing mutual understanding, which comes with spending time together. To be honest, I was scared when I was inside the house, as one starts building castles in the air without having understood the other person. So, it’s better to play 'BB' in the real world...understanding each other or fighting with each other (laughs!).”
Eijaz and Pavitra have already met each other’s brothers. The actor says, “When I met Pavi, I met her brother, too. He is sweet. I also made my brother meet her. We take each day as it comes. I love her. My intention is honest, pure and pavitra, pun intended! We will see where it goes, let us not define or label it.”
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Credits: TOI
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