Stepping into the shoes of Salman Khan to host Bigg Boss Halla Bol was a sign of women’s empowerment, says filmmaker Farah Khan.
Dabangg star Salman handed over the baton of hosting Bigg Boss Halla Bol, an extension of Bigg Boss 8, to Khan.
“I think a lot of people are undermining the fact that a woman replaced one of the biggest stars of the industry. It says something for women empowerment,” Khan said over phone from Lonavla, where the Bigg Boss set has been housing celebrity contestants for the past four months.
In the new series, which concluded on Saturday night, five challengers from the previous seasons of the show were pitted against the top five champions of Bigg Boss 8.
Khan, who with movies such as Main Hoon Naa, Om Shanti Om and Happy New Year, broke the myth that a woman can’t helm masala movies, says she added her own style and charisma while hosting the Colors’ show.
“I’m relieved with the response. There were some apprehensions, which were not from my side, but yes I think they were big shoes to fill. I’m glad that all’s well that ends well. I think my style of hosting was different from Salman. I don’t think one can draw any comparisons. He is a fabulous host and that was his take, but I did it in my own way,” she added.
The filmmaker, who has judged TV shows Dance India Dance-Supermoms and Nach Baliye in the past, also mentioned that she entered the show with a blank canvas to avoid being Salman’s reflection.
“There was no point in doing what he [Salman] did, then I would have fallen flat on my face. I was myself and thought to do it as a class teacher with humour, like giving them advice when they need it, but I didn’t intimidate them,” she added.
It’s tough to talk about Bigg Boss and not mention its infamous controversies and the romance that brewed between contestants. This season, the chemistry between two pairs — Gautam Gulati and Diandra Soares and Upen Patel and Karishma Tanna — grabbed much attention.
The 50-year-old says a love story inside the house satiates the ‘voyeuristic’ need of the people.
“It is not scripted. We are actually watching the process of two people falling for each other. I think the nation, in fact the world, has become voyeuristic. We want to know what is happening in our neighbour’s house, we want to know what the other person is doing, so it is a voyeuristic pleasure that we get while watching Bigg Boss.
“With all the fights and conspiracies inside the house, a little romance makes you feel nice,” she said.
Khan, who calls herself an ardent fan of the reality show, lauded the top five finalists — Karishma, Gulati, Pritam Singh, Dimpy and Ali Quli Mirza, for surviving inside the house and keeping the viewers hooked to the show. Gautam Gulati was crowned the winner during the finale of the show on Saturday night.
