Bagging Ekta Kapoor show equal to winning Bigg Boss 16′ for Shalin Banot

Mumbai, Feb 13 (PTI) Popular TV actor Shalin Banot may have lost the “Bigg Boss” trophy to rapper MC Stan, but he is happy to have landed the lead role in Ekta Kapoor’s new show, “Beqaboo”.

Soon after Banot’s exit from “Bigg Boss”, Kapoor offered him the new show via a video call message.

“When I left the Bigg Boss’ house and I was to meet Salman sir on stage, I was like, I had reached this far in the show and I am going away without a trophy’. But in this finale, I believe two people are taking the trophy, one is MC Stan and another is Shalin Banot, who is given a Ekta Kapoor show. I am very excited,” the actor, known for shows like “Saat Phere: Saloni Ka Safar”, “Dill Mill Gayye”, and “Naagin 4”, told PTI in an interview.

The 16th season of Salman Khan-hosted reality TV series “Bigg Boss”, which began in October last year, saw Banot finishing on the fifth spot.

The actor said the “Bigg Boss” house, a reality show where contestants are required to share a house for over three months without any contact from the outside world, helped him learnt to embrace his lows.

“I realised that when you face your lows you should not be in denial about it, because you get an answer to your problems only if you accept things. One should not shy away from anything; you should embrace your lows and fears. In this entire journey, today I feel I am more connected to my soul than ever,” Banot added.

He also said that the makers of “Bigg Boss” had approached him several times in the past but he was ‘afraid’ to be part of this reality show, which he described as a scary roller coaster ride.

“I have been receiving the offer for five-six years, and I would be like, I don’t want to do this show. I was very afraid because the kind of format it is. I am grateful to Colors (channel) that they again approached me this season and suddenly I felt I should do it… It is the scariest roller coaster ride in the world.

“There is a lot of nervousness when you see so many cameras moving, you feel intimidated… It takes time to understand that everything will be out there to be seen,” he said.

On Sunday night, rapper MC Stan emerged as the winner of “Bigg Boss 16”.