Express News Service
While you’d expect a contestant of a show such as Bigg Boss to do what it takes to remain a part of it, playback singer Ramya NSK, the granddaughter of legendary comedian NS Krishnan, says otherwise. “I’m happy coming out of the house,” says a visibly relieved Ramya as she opens up on her days in the house.
Ramya, who has sung in all four South languages didn’t quite watch the first season of Bigg Boss in its entirety. “I was a regular viewer of the show though, even if I only saw half of it,” says the singer, who admits to having no expectations walking into the house. “I didn’t think much to be honest. I signed up for it just a day or two before getting into the house, so I didn’t have the time to do much homework either.”
But Ramya confesses that what she experienced inside the house was nothing that she had expected. “In the first season, the fights began only during the halfway mark but here, it began a lot earlier (laughs). The only other difference I can think about is the actual setup,” says the singer who adds that the ones who immediately bonded with her were Janani and Vaishnavi. “I connected with Vaishnavi because both of us love singing, and Janani is a person I already knew.”
Ramya still hasn’t seen the episodes of Season 2. “I only saw the episode in which I got evicted. Thankfully, I wasn’t crying when I came out; so it wasn’t painful to watch that episode,” says a smiling Ramya. She owes the joy of getting out of the house, to the increasing bickering inside. “I couldn’t handle what was going on. There were people who were talking behind each others’ backs.”
Oviya became a sensation, thanks to Season 1, which led to her bagging a number of films. Ramya, however, feels there is not a single person who’s comparable to her in this Season. “Oviya was different; her character was unique. If someone tried to replicate that, they’d be acting. I don’t think anyone tried to be like her in the house.”
Most of the contestants in Bigg Boss Season 2 are those who have been part of the film industry, and are looking for a lease of life.
On what prompted Ramya to choose to go inside, she says, “Just for the experience. I wanted to see how a luxurious jail would be. I told the organisers the same thing when I was being briefed about the do’s and the dont’s.” She’s among the few rational voices in the show. “I always try solving a fight by talking it out. My objective was always to keep the atmosphere healthy. That’s always been my nature. But if pushed, I can fight too. In the show, I tried my best to resolve issues but couldn’t. I believe that’s also why I got evicted.”
The show’s host Kamal Haasan often criticised that the contestants weren’t being their real selves, an accusation Ramya disagrees with. “I wouldn’t say that everyone was faking it. I may have accepted it if he had said most were unnatural. I know I was my real self inside that house.” One of the biggest points of the season was when Ponnambalam took offence to the behaviour of Yashika and Aishwarya. Ramya thinks both sides were wrong. “Both the actual incident and the way he reacted to it were wrong. That’s why I voiced out my opinion.”
On the whole, she says the Bigg Boss experience has been life-changing. “It was hard to be there but there were some good moments too. I got a nice set of friends who I’ll stay in touch with. I used to be a dependent person but I realised I could take care of myself.”
Ramya’s already been getting calls to record songs. “I’ve been getting calls for shows too. I think I’m going to be quite busy.” Can we perhaps see her as an actor too? “I don’t think I can act. I’m sure directors will run away if they try to make me act.”
The Ramya experience
Mahat: An emotional person who’d do anything for a friend
Vaishnavi: A helpful person whose problem is her loud mouth
Janani: A good friend and a go-to person
Mumtaz: A caring person
Balaji: Enjoyable humour, and despite the fights in the house, an optimistic person
Shariq: He’s like a brother to me, and very straightforward with his opinions
Nithya: A balanced person who has given her voice at the right times
Ponnambalam: Being the eldest, he has been the one who’d point out our mistakes
