On Tuesday, October 1, for the first time in three seasons of Bigg Boss Tamil, journalists from Chennai walked into the house to ask the final four contestants questions about their journey so far. With phones taken away an hour before the conference was to start, it would be no exaggeration to say that the reporters were already getting a taste of what it was like to be part of the reality show.
And as we stepped into the activity room and the contestants gathered, their eagerness to meet people from outside the walls of the show’s sets was evident. As Losliya, Sandy, Mugen and Sherin settled down and started chatting, they quickly arrived at a consensus on a single issue – “Tharshan should have won the show”.
While their statements on his elimination did not find its way to the episode that was finally aired on Star Vijay, for reporters present there, the contestants’ disbelief was evident. Tharshan, who was considered a shoo-in for the finals, had been eliminated after 98 days on the show and was evicted on September 29. The model-turned-actor had perhaps the most successful run when it came to in-house activities and was well-liked.
“I had pretty much decided that Tharshan was going to be the winner,” said Sandy. “In fact I was working towards helping him the whole time. We all thought that,” he added, as the others nodded in agreement.
Predictably, Sherin, one of Tharshan’s closest friends in the house, pointed out that she found it toughest to compete with him.
“If he and I were on opposite sides, I would still want him to perform well. I am actually a very competitive person but I found myself rooting for Tharshan as well. He had so much passion and talent,” she told TNM.
Losliya pointed out that at this stage of the competition, she would be happy for anybody who won. But her mind was clearly on the drama that ensued when her parents entered the Bigg Boss house. Her parents were, as seen in the episode, clearly upset over the way her relationship with Kavin, an evicted contestant, was portrayed.
When TNM asked her what she would do as soon as the show ended, she said, “When I go out, I need to talk to my parents. No matter what anybody says, I always reply that my parents know me. But I felt very bad when I realised what they have been through. I am from a middleclass family. After I came here they realised all these things happen. For them, all this is very new. I realised they faced a lot over what was happening. So the minute I leave, I plan to talk to them. We are here 24x7 but you all see just one hour. I will explain to them how everyone is.”
Mugen, meanwhile, seemed to be already charting his next steps after leaving the Bigg Boss house. Both he and Losliya agreed that their future was in Tamil Nadu, but Mugen had a clearer idea on what he would like to do.
“I grew up seeing people clap for my father, who is a performer. I realised I want to be in the arts field too and receive applause. After I leave here, I want to act in movies. I want to be part of blockbuster films and make music. I also want to give motivational talks, something which I did in Malaysia too,” he said.
When TNM asked if he had lost anything in this journey so far, Mugen said that while he definitely missed his family, he had only gained friends and experiences on the show.