Santhosh Pandit, the Mollywood personality who rocked the box-office in 2011 with his movie 'Krishnanum Radhayum' is now enjoying the moderate success of his recent release 'Urukku Satheeshan', another low-budget venture made with a budget of Rs. 5 lakh.
Recently, Santhosh Pandit appeared with megastar Mammootty in the movie 'Masterpiece' and his performance garnered positive acclaim from the audiences. The actor is also busy with the acting assignment of his upcoming unnamed Tamil movie.
Santhosh Pandit's publicity reached new heights when he appeared in the noted television reality show, 'Malayali House', a rip-off of 'Big Brother', which was aired between May 05, 2013 and August 30, 2013, on Surya TV.
In an exclusive talk with IB Times India, Santhosh Pandit spoke about his expectations about 'Bigg Boss', an upcoming reality show which is also a rip-off of Dutch television show 'Big Brother'.
IB Times India: It was a rare transformation Santhosh Pandit. When most of the contestants were criticized, Santhosh Pandit stood out, but after the show, you became the role model for many audiences. Tell me something about that?
Santhosh Pandit: I am a person who loves to behave. I do not like acting in real life. But in the case of Malayali House, things were different. All the sixteen contestants were performers, and they always tried to act inside the house. But they forgot one thing, 'A person can act for one hour or one day', but after that, his inner self will reveal, and that is what I call revelation. Most of the contestants in Malayali House forgot that. They initially tried acting, but later, they exposed themselves, and it drastically affected their future career.
When I was in the house, I behaved in the same way I do in my home. And luckily, the Kerala audience realized who is right, and it helped me a lot in shaping my career in the future. Even though I was eliminated midway, the channel was compelled to add me to the list of contestants again. Still, many people used to call me and tell 'You were the real man in the house'.
IB Times India: Now, Asianet is gearing up with 'Bigg Boss', another reality show which follows the pattern of Malayali House. What is your expectation?
Santhosh Pandit: I saw the teaser of 'Bigg Boss', and yeah, our beloved Mohanlal sir is hosting it. I am pretty glad to see Mohanlal sir coming to the small screen, and it will be a great mileage for the show.
However, you should note that Mohanlal sir is just one factor. Whenever Mohanlal appears in the show, most probably, once in a week, obviously his fans will watch those episodes.
If the makers want 'Bigg Boss' to be a success, then they should be very choosy while selecting the participants. As per me, participants are going to play a crucial role in determining the success of this upcoming show. If participants fail to impress, the fate of 'Bigg Boss' will be the same as Malayali House, and makers will be compelled to wrap it up within one season.
IB Times India: You said that participants should be chosen wisely, tell me how?
Santhosh Pandit: Nirmal, if I am the producer of this show, I will select people based on various criteria. To make things clear, shows like these have huge potential, and it can play a direct role in shaping our society. But this good intention will not work if channels are always keen on choosing only celebrities for the show.
If I am given charge of this show, I will make sure that the show is a direct reflection of our society. Obviously, I will include five or six top celebrities, for the sake of TRP channel ratings. But I will be very careful while choosing the remaining eight participants. For example, I will include an ex-army man, a retired police officer, a farmer, a lawyer, a teacher and a doctor.
What I am trying to tell you is that the participants should be a mirror of our society. Inside the house, there should be more scope for creative discussions than engaging in mere gossipping and body shaming.
In my days in Malayali House, I was a person who faced many insults from fellow participants, and some people even questioned my educational qualifications without knowing that I was an engineer in the PWD department. But many of these participants were not aware of a thing. Due to my star value, I was given Rs.4,00,000 for a week, while many other participants received Rs.5,000 - 25,000 per week. So you tell me, who is the winner?
Then, what did I do? I donated half of the amount I earned from Malayali House to the poor people in Attappadi. I did that because of my father's principles. During my childhood, he used to tell us that we should donate half of our earnings to other, and it differentiates good people from an evil stricken community.
IB Times India: So, what is your advise to the people who are going to participate in Bigg Boss?
Santhosh Pandit: These participants should understand that this show will be a life-changing event for you all. Sometimes, you may be in limelight, but through this show, people are actually seeing your inner self, your culture, and your traits. Sometimes, even a single action may drastically affect the future of your career. So, behave yourself, and make sure that you are following certain principles in your life, not just in the show, but in real life too.
I also request all the participants to build a home of love, not of hatred and jealousy. Consider it a game, and enjoy it to the fullest. After all, culture matters a lot, and it will be reflected in the show for sure.
IB Times India: Will 'Bigg Boss' emerge as a game-changer in the Malayalam television Industry?
Santhosh Pandit: Obviously yes, because Mohanlal is the host. He is an ultimate star, but as I mentioned earlier, participants are the key. If they fail to impress, nothing will be there to save.The show will be a hit for sure, but it is always good to make a hit with positive things, not with negative kind of stuff.
IB Times India: Tell us something about your future commitments.
Santhosh Pandit: My recent release 'Urukku Satheeshan' is currently enjoying success at the theaters. I am currently acting in a Tamil movie, and I am now doing the pre-production work of another Malayalam flick titled 'Broker Premachandrante Leela Vilaasangal'. I am also hosting a talk show named 'Santhosh Pandit Show' on YouTube which is meant to address various social issues.
