Bigg Boss 19 contestant Gaurav Khanna says adaptability is his biggest lesson: ‘Nothing is served on a platter’  | EXCLUSIVE

After scoring a win in Celebrity Masterchef India, television actor Gaurav Khanna is trying his hand at another reality show with Bigg Boss 19. Khanna is certain that his experience on the cooking-based reality show will help him with Salman Khan-hosted show.

“Absolutely. The experience of winning any reality show will help you in other shows as well because the format is similar, only the content type is different. I learnt a life skill in Masterchef. I know there won’t be that kind of elaborate cooking in Bigg Boss because there are no ingredients or utensils, but if required, I will be able to do well with basic cooking and food rationing,” he said.

Interestingly, Khanna hasn’t followed the previous seasons of Bigg Boss, except for the 13th season, which featured his industry friends, including late actor Siddharth Shukla. The actor has now entered the Bigg Boss house with no fixed strategy and believes that no planning can prepare you for what’s to come. “You may prepare for one thing, but Bigg Boss will throw something else at you. Aap jaayege garish ka sochke and waha pe baraf gir gayi toh aap kya karege?” he said, adding that one just needs to be real, have fun and stand by what they believe is right.

Khanna emphasised that Bigg Boss is different from other reality shows, since it brings out one’s real personality. “Once you enter the house, you leave behind all your characters and laurels. You enter only with your personality, it’s a game of personalities. You may meet a lot of people outside, work with them, there are good days and bad days, and it’s the same with Bigg Boss. People think it’s only about gaali-galoch and dhaka-mukki, but I disagree. The show is also about emotions, friendships and relationships and the situations you find yourself in.”

Over the course of his journey in television, Khanna’s biggest lesson is adaptability. “Adapt to the situation, circumstance and the people around you. No one gives you things for free in this life, especially in the professional word, nothing is served on a platter. You have to make a mark, you have to do your best and you have to be so good that you don’t lose out an opportunity to someone else. I think adaptability is in my blood,” he said.

The actor, who essayed the role of Anuj Kapadia in Anupamaa, says he never anticipated the show’s success. “Anupamaa has given me a lot, Rajan Shah gave me that character, and I have received so much love for it. Even now wherever I go, people ask me about Anuj Kapadia. The crew on the Bigg Boss set also asked if I will return to the show after completing this. But I would be lying if I say I anticipated its success. Wo cheeze bante bante ban gayi, I don’t think it can be repeated,” he explained, adding, he doesn’t anticipate anything when he starts something and likes to begin as a newcomer. “When you go with a blank paper, you can write more,” he said.