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Here is a simple question. Do you have a well-kept shocker of a secret that you can share on national TV? Are you mad? I expect that from you. The question comes to mind after watching BIGG BOSS episode 42 telecast on 30th November 2020.
Everyone knows I love Bigg Boss. It was my favourite show for long. However, despite WFH, I have been missing the telecast. The tasks have been repetitive, lacking originality and creativity. And many times crossing the unsaid rules.
This year, I did not even write a blog on Bigg Boss. I did watch a few of the episodes on Voot in the afternoon and did not miss ‘the weekend roundup’ with Salman Khan. It will take some time to wean me of Bigg Boss.
Bigg Boss At An Interesting Point.
Bigg Boss season 14 is at an exciting stage with six ex-contestants (seniors) getting into the house. The four existing contestants have some real competition at hand.
The seniors who walked in invited as wildcards are well known and loved participants of earlier seasons. Rakhi Sawant, Mastermind Vikas Gupta, Arshi Khan, the dumb face Rahul Mahajan, want to prove a lot Kashmira Shah and confidence my second name Manu Punjabi. I’m not too fond of a wildcard at such a late stage and hope this is another fake move or they will get evicted at some stage. But that is not the reason for this article.
Bigg Boss Observation Deck.
Bigg Boss is a reality show around strategy and human reactions. There are umpteen reasons to watch it. The way to watch it is to bet on one of the contestants.
Watching the episode 42, I realized there is another way to get immersed in it. Virtual participants. Some of the episodes and the task are apt for it. Get on take a stance and play the Game.
The Episode Task.
At the start of the task, Rubina had the IMMUNITY STONE. She could have used it anytime to avoid getting nominated. Maybe she was holding it back for a critical moment and ended up getting nominated for eviction.
Now the immunity stone was at stake.
The task was simple. Rubina will share a secret about herself. Preferably one that even the people close to her do not know about. More of a shocker better the secret. After her, another contestant will share his or her secret. The rest of the contestant will then vote, which was a more significant impact secret. The winner will get the immunity stone.
And then the winner will again defend the immunity stone in four more rounds of participants sharing their secret. The immunity stone will keep passing winner to winner.
I frankly loved the episode. However, I do not subscribe to playing the trauma sharing and reliving for generating some shocking and controversial content. How far should the format be allowed to go and stretch human tolerance? Truthfully speaking, they have the right to rise to the bait or deny participating. But, you don’t do that in this show.
As a coach, I do understand, sometimes sharing and opening of a trauma or a secret can be therapeutic, but under supervision.
The Game.
(if you have watched the episode 42, you could jump to ‘The Game- Case discussion’).
Rubina shared her secret. ‘Abhinav and I were getting divorced. To give our marriage a second chance, we decided to come to Bigg Boss together. We have given ourselves time till November end’. The episode telecast date- 30th November 2020.
Now the Game is open, and the heat is on the other contestants to share their secret. No one wants to do that on national television. They think of their families and parents.
Ali and Rahul Vaidya decide they will not share the secret. They opt out of the task. Still, no one wants to be the first one to get on stage and share the secret. Eijaz decides to take the plunge.
Your Secret More Shocking Than Mine.
Eijaz drops the bomb. The reason I have a problem with unannounced unwarranted touch is that in childhood, I was a victim of physical abuse without my consent.
Eijaz wins and the immunity stone. Rubina loses it.
The Gates Open Up.
With Eijaz opening up, the hesitation finishes, and the other contestant follow.
To take on Eijaz in walked Abhinav with his secret. ‘My first film flopped. I got depressed. No work led to me getting bankrupt. And this is not even known to my wife’. Eijaz won. But why would Abhinav walk in with this small secret? Was it because he was replying to Rubina who shared the divorce possibility without asking him?
Next attempt to get the Immunity stone was by Jasmin. Her secret. ‘After facing umpteen rejection due to some prominent marks on my body. I decided and tried to commit suicide, and I consider that as my biggest mistake’. Rejection is part of a struggler’s life. Everyone there has faced it at some stage. Eijaz retains the immunity stone.
Niki and her secret; she was paid four lakhs for an international modelling assignment. That was too much money for her at that time. While she was returning, some people tried kidnapping her and walked away with all the money. No, she was not kidnapped. And maybe this secret was just for the facetime. EIJAZ retains immunity stone.
Kavita Choudhary was the next and the last one to attempt. Her secret had to be bigger than Eijaz’s secret; otherwise, there was no point. Her secret was now to find how much the male-female victim card was worth in the show. ‘When Kavita was young, her 60plus Mathematics tutor tried to talk dirty with her. He tried to molest her. And when she shared it with her mother, her mother did not believe her’.
Eijaz secret won and became the first finalist.
The Game as CASE discussion.
- Would Eijaz still have won, If all the contestants shared their secrets before the voting for the best secret started?
- What if the opening was not by Rubina and she was the last one to share? Would she share some other secret?
- Would the sequence in which the secrets were shared affected the outcome?
- What if Eijaz was to share his secret at the end.
You In The Game.
Now, think if you were one of the contestants in Bigg Boss.
- What is the secret you carry?
- Do you have the guts to accept that secret on national television?
- What would that secret be that you would get the immunity stone
- Will you be able to share your best-kept secret on National Television?
- What kind of secrets will you not share?
- Will you create a story for the Game and deny that later?
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Blog/ 108/2020
