For Aarav, who entered the
Bigg Boss Tamil house as the sole non-celebrity contestant on day one,
winning the title has been quite a surreal experience. Now, he's gearing up to listen to scripts and is enjoying all the limelight and overnight fame the show has given him. In this exclusive interview with
Firstpost, he talks about his learnings from the show, how he has become more mature now and his relationship with Oviya.
"I received a call from someone who represented Vijay TV, three days before the Bigg Bossshow started. I had no clue about the format, except for the basic concept. In fact, I've not even seen the Hindi version of the reality show. But I gave my consent immediately to be a part of it, which sounded quite interesting and experimental," recalls Aarav about how he made his entry to the show.
Aarav did not know any of the Bigg Boss contestants personally before entering the show. "I have seen Vaiyapuri, Shakthi, Oviya and a few others on television and in films. But, I befriended them only through the course of the show," says Aarav.
Aarav at the grand finale of Bigg Boss Tamil. Twitter@AaravOfficial
Aarav was always of the opinion that people will favor only a celebrity contestant to win the title. "I was genuinely apprehensive about winning the title. I thought people will always favor the known faces rather than supporting someone who was hardly known," he said.
Although a week has passed since the show concluded, Aarav is still camera-conscious when he is at home and outside. "Sometimes, I try to adjust my invisible shoulder bag thinking that I still carry the mike. Winning the title was a surreal experience. I am still not able to believe that I've triumphed others," says Aarav, adding that he still stares at the trophy in his home to realize that he is the winner.
"Even my parents didn't encourage me to be a part of the show since the format was completely new to Tamil audiences. But, as episodes passed, they seemed to have appreciated my presence on television and started rooting for me," said Aarav.
When Aarav rejected Oviya's love proposal in the show, internet warriors trolled him ruthlessly on the web and hordes of Oviya supporters, who came to be known as 'Oviya Army,' were unsparing in their criticism of Aarav.
"When you decide to be in the limelight, both brickbats and praises are guaranteed. I've learned not to look back and have acquired the ability to move ahead with my career. There was a lot of idle time inside the house, which provided me with an opportunity to introspect regularly. When everyone unanimously points out a mistake, it indeed means that I'm wrong," says Aarav.
Aarav showers lavish praise on Oviya's personality traits which won her incredibly loyal fans. "Oviya is an excellent friend. She is a sweet person, and her guileless personality has earned her unprecedented love from fans. She has never blamed anyone for any of her mistakes inside the house. Also, she was a rare contestant who never indulged in any malicious talk and sullied anyone's good reputation," said Aarav who is looking forward to talking to Oviya this week after he gets free.
Talking about why he turned down Oviya's proposal, Aarav said, "Our relationship started as a friendship. Later, I felt awful that I sowed the seed of desire in her heart when all I tried was to be a caretaker. I'm a career-oriented person, and I couldn't accept it in the blink of an eye when she proposed. But viewers were angry that a simple person like me said 'no' to a famous actress like Oviya (smiles)."
Aarav is now synonymous with 'Maruthuva Mutham' (Medical Kiss), a phrase which went viral after he reasoned with Kamal Haasan in one of the episodes that he kissed Oviya to cure her mental instability. "I know that 'Maruthuva Mutham' has become famous. Just like how I'm enjoying all the praise and fame, I can't blame viewers when they criticise me. I'm taking everything casually," said Aarav.
Overall, the Bigg Boss show has transformed Aarav completely as a person. "Inside the house, we never bothered to blame people. Now, I think twice or thrice before talking something negative about anyone. I have learned to approach life positively and in a disciplined manner. I constantly corrected my activities in the show. Now, I've come out as a mature and sensible person. It was a fantastic learning experience. Bigg Boss was a crash course to acquire the knowledge of the ways of life," Aarav explains.
Quashing rumors that the show was scripted, Aarav said, "We had no connection to the outside world at all. I too heard a lot of rumors regarding the format of the show. But, trust me, it's all true. We cooked our own food and stayed inside the house with all the rules and restrictions in place. Vijay TV and the show runners never manipulated anything."
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