Veena Mallik has entertained us as she romanced Ashmit Patel in Bigg Boss house for a long time. This entertainment unlimited came to a grinding halt as she got eliminated last week from the Bigg Boss house. She is elated that she managed to stay so long on an Indian reality show. She is happy that she made new friends especially someone like Ashmit Patel. Here is what she has to say…

So how was the journey in Bigg Boss house?
It was great. I feel really great that I remained in an Indian Reality show for so long. And made so many good friends like Ashmit Patel.

How did the friendship start between you and Ashmit?
My friendship with Ashmit started when I learnt that he has Thalassemia. I have worked for those patients, so I started interacting with him and realised he is a very good human being. Until and unless he is served food with lots of iron, his blood cells will not grow well. So, I was always giving him boiled vegetables and taking good care of him. I respect him a lot because he is the only man in the house who did not indulge in any fight with a woman. So I really respect him.

Did you fall in love with anyone?
No, initially I liked Hrishant Goswami, he is a nice guy but later I realised he is not my cup of tea so we became good friends. Apart from him no one else.

What was the relationship that you had with Ashmit?
I admit I am very close to Ashmit, but we never crossed any boundaries in the house. I am still single; I am not in a relationship with him but he is a very close friend of me.

But you enjoy flirting? And with whom you enjoy it the most?
(Laughs) yes I do but healthy flirting I never go beyond my limits. Like I did it with Ashmit and Hrishant. The funny thing was with Manoj ji as he use to sing for me.

Apart from Ashmit who remained close to you in the house?
Sara Khan was very close to me I felt she is still in her childhood though whatever she did to me was all in her childishness so I don’t care and I have always maintained my relationship with her.

Who according to you is a not real in the house?
I can’t say who is not real because once you stay there for a while you start behaving like yourself on a daily basis. But when Dolly came back she was cool and calm and in the end she has shown what she truly is?

Who you think has a chance to win apart from Ashmit?
Apart from Ashmit I want Khali ji to win he seems to be a very real and has a great fan following over the world. And he never indulges himself in someone else’s business so I believe he has a chance to win.

How will you define your other co-mates?
I was good friends with Anchal Kaur she is sweet. Then Hrishant and Ashmit are dear to me. I have always treated Sara as a little sister. Sameer Soni, Shweta Tiwari, Manoj Tiwari, Khali ji I didn’t interact with them much. Though they all where fun to be together and ofcourse I had a feeling that Seema ji will win but she didn’t.

After Bigg Boss are you planning a career in Bollywood?
I don’t mind working in Bollywood. Though I have never thought of it but if I get a good role I will do it. I don’t mind even doing an item number too. But my forte is comedy and romantic films.

LAHORE: Malik may be a household name thanks to her skills as a satirist and cricketer Mohammad Asif, but she’s set to be locked into a house of her own. She has signed a contract to appear on the fourth season of the Indian reality television show “Big Boss”.

A source close to the actor confirmed to The Express Tribune that she has signed the contract. Malik left for Mumbai on Monday. The launching ceremony of the reality show will be held on October 2 and Veena Malik is likely to do a dance performance on the same day, the source said.

Several names have appeared in the Indian press of likely contestants. However, another source confirmed to The Express Tribune that Taranum, Shaan, Sara Khan, Veena Malik and Neetu Chandra are definitely participating.

A source close to Malik said that she had been picked because of the level of controversy she had generated in the past few months. “The Asif – Veena saga has been in the news for a while and might be a reason for which ‘Big Boss’ decided to sign Veena Malik. Veena is likely to stay in show for at least a month as it will increase the show’s ratings. People are already discussing the expected catfight between Veena and Neetu,” the source said.

Neetu Chandra was allegedly a close friend of cricketer Mohammad Asif. A record of calls made by Mohammad Asif showed that he had called Chandra many times and Veena Malik had highlighted this point in interviews.

Malik is likely to be paid about Rs20 million for her appearance. Before going to India she said that she may consider the offer to be a part of the show. “I will only be accepting the offer if I find the rest of the contestants equal to my stature,” she had said then.

Malik’s manger Sohail Rashid told The Express Tribune, “I have heard the buzz (about the show) too. But I cannot confirm or rule it out.”

“Big Boss” has been mired in controversy since it debuted on television. The Indian version of “Celebrity Big Brother” features a number of contestants locked away in a house and disconnected from the world, who have to complete tasks and outwit each other to escape elimination. In the past few years, the reality show has featured former actors such as Rahul Roy (who went on to win the first season) and Monica Bedi, ‘item girls’ such as Rakhi Sawant and Sherlyn Chopra, ex-cricketers (Vinod Kambli) and struggling actors (Shamita Shetty and Zulfi Syed).

The show’s second season (hosted by Shilpa Shetty) featured Jade Goody, who had been involved in a racism row with Shetty when they both appeared on “Celebrity Big Brother” in the UK. Goody discovered while she was living in the “Big Boss” house that she had been diagnosed with cancer, returned to the UK and died a few months later.

The show has also managed to create new ‘stars’ that got their own reality shows – Rakhi Sawant went on to appear in “Rakhi Ka Swayamwar” and “Pati, Patni Aur Woh” and Rahul Mahajan starred in “Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega”.

The show has been hosted by A-list Bollywood stars. Arshad Warsi, Shilpa Shetty and Amitabh Bachchan were the respective hosts for the first three seasons and the upcoming one will be hosted by Salman Khan, who is currently enjoying a renewed wave of success after his film Dabangg broke box office records in India.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2010.