Followers of Bigg Boss season five would be in for a surprise of sorts on Wednesday. In a bid to boost TRPs, Bigg Boss' house will see a splash of saffron.
Before you hit the alarm on this one let us assure you that this is a different hue of saffron. Joining the bad boys, girls and others of the House will be left-liberals poster boy and self-avowed agnostic Shyam Vepa Rao aka Swami Agnivesh.
As we wait outside, a large red strolley arrives for the swami to pack his stuff into. We learn that the first 14 guests got one each but for the new ones the same 14 are being recycled. We wonder why a man of renunciation would need a bag so large and he just laughs, "I'm sure I don't have enough to fit a small one too. But this is the format and I am going with it."
Not exactly a stranger to controversy, we ask the 72-year-old Chhatisgarh born swami whether it was this aspect of the show or the money that was an attraction. While he ducks the latter he says, "Why not Bigg Boss?" According to him, "The show is a huge draw among urban middle class viewers. It offers the best platform to sensitise masses to critical developmental issues which affect the country. I want to go there and make people aware of issues like hunger, poverty, rural agrarian distress and displacement."
But isn't participating in something which is part of a crass, voyeuristic narrative going to create problems for his image, we ask, and the man in robes vigorously disagrees.
"I have watched the show and I don't think there is anything pornographic about what is shown or done. So where is the question of voyeurism?" he asks, but concedes, "Yes, the bitter fighting over trivial issues between inmates of the house does seem unnecessarily negative."
He quickly remembers to add, "I am not entering the house to compete with anyone or evict anybody. I just want a platform to speak about issues."
He says he was enthused with the sustained huge response to Anna Hazare's movement against corruption. "I have been part of movements since the 60s but this one was an eye-opener for me too. I have never seen these levels of enthusiasm and vigour among the urban middle class ever. I admit it was perhaps our failure to enthuse them enough."
He says he wants the battle against corruption to go beyond 2G, CWG, Adarsh and other scams. "The vulgar wastage of money at weddings in a country where people die hungry is as much part of corruption as the scams and I want the masses to take this up as well."
But will the masses indeed get enthused to see him in this new reality avatar?
Watch this space.
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