Exclusive! Kaaranvir Bohra: I can’t become a monster to stay in or win Lock Upp

Kaaranvir Bohra was evicted from Lock Upp for the second time. The decision came unexpectedly and KV (like Kaaranvir was called on Lock Upp) feels so too. However, he also agrees that the show demanded something else – hitting below-the-belt which he didn’t want to do. The actor states that he couldn’t become a monster to stay in or win Lock Upp. Excerpts…

How have you been?

I have been good. I've been getting so much love from people. It really makes me happy. Nobody is happy when they're eliminated. Of course, I was very disappointed, upset and felt this was unfair, the second time but when you come out and see the amount of love you get, this is what gives me validation to win hearts, people and yourself.

KV, so many people still love you. I wonder what made you feel like giving priority to the people calling you a loser at any given point. I'm sure you know you aren't. Then why the justification?

When you are on a reality show and there's some point on you, it is very important for people to know. You need to elaborate and be vocal because if a lie is said 100 times, it could sound like the truth. That is why I would justify. I don't feel bad. Even when Kangana and Munawar told me the same and were laughing after giving me the tag, I didn't feel bad because I know that I'm very successful in my career. People want to be where I am. Everyone on the show wants to be where I am. I want to work harder. I don't feel bad but I don't like it because this is not the attitude that should be given to the youth watching the show.

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Imagine the kind of pressure put on people who go in a competition or do higher studies. They wonder that they would be a loser if they don't pass a certain examination. The pressure is huge. People don't understand that. We hear about suicides because they think they have lost or are a loser. It begins from there. Failing is okay but you have to get up and fight again. That is a winner quality.

In this population of billions in this world, everybody can't be a winner. But that's okay. It's just a title. So, you tell me that people who win reality shows are winners but those who don't, are they losers? In our reality shows, biggest actors, singers and dancers are there who are in a better position. Compared to them, the winners of reality shows are losers.

It's so sad to hear this statement by such established actors and young generation who have followers. If you have seen struggles too, then how can you say that? My belief is to work, even if you fail. It's okay to fail but work.

To be honest, you might have lost reality shows but nobody judges you for that till you don't. Your fans know and love you for your TV shows. So, seeing you pay heed to the loser tag appears like you have low self-esteem. Why not rather ignore the tag?

In a reality show, you can't ignore the accusations on you. I get irritated and call them idiots. I questioned Prince also for laughing when they mocked me. Then, he apologized to me. Zeeshan was also laughing. He wants to be an actor and he is laughing with the group. He wants to be where I already am in my position. Munawar became popular just two years back. He failed many times before coming to the point and he was laughing. That is what I had to explain them - to understand and respect. They needed to introspect and understand where they are and where do they want to reach. It was my irritation that converted to passion. They have to become an actor and this reality show is a pedestal to that. I am already there.

Your passion and frustration both came out through Lock Upp ka manch act. You rocked it and how! Here, we were thinking that KV might perform with the team and you come and give a solo performance and steal everyone's thunder...

(Laughs) Thank you man. It wasn't planned at all. I'm also a human. To err is human and there isn't an age where you'll stop making mistakes. That night, I was upset for not standing with Payal. I thought it was her mistake because she's so aggressive even in the way she talks. When I heard her side of the story, when she cried and said that even I didn't come to her, a mountain broke inside my heart. I felt that she was right and everybody was humiliating her and I couldn't do anything about it. That feeling and emotion converted into an act. After that, I was glad to be able to take a stand in Zeeshan Khan (Azma Fallah) matter otherwise I would've been a bystander out there also. I fought for her, stood for her and was literally reprimanded him verbally for what he was doing while others were encouraging him.

KV, you know, this is the second time you were evicted because someone else had the power. Munawar cried for you the last time and this time, he played some role in evicting you from the game. But last time as well, Zeeshan and Vinit evicted you from the game. Teejay spoke about that back then and called it unfair. Right now, since you know it all happened again, do you still feel it is unfair because we are also confused and surprised about what happened?

We both feel it is an unfair eviction. It's very disappointing when everybody has said that I played such an amazing game. I also feel that. I wasn't told that even on Bigg Boss. My Lock Upp experience is way better than my Bigg Boss experience. I enjoyed playing this game. I won't go more badass than this. I cannot go so low and be so nasty. There's a certain level and limit you can break. I won't become a monster for a show.

There came a time when you had to evict Siddharth and he was really upset. I heard it from him too...

I'm evicted and I feel unfair. Imagine he was the one that another kaidi had to evict and imagine that, on top of that, it was me who had to evict him. Now, in hindsight, I should have really stuck to my guns and kicked Ali out. At that time though, I was really manoeuvred to not play safe. The jailor manoeuvred me that people don't want to see safe. I should have stuck to my guns and said that no, I love these two so screw Ali. I will give Siddharth a hug when I meet him and will apologize to him once again. I like that boy. He's so sweet but that's life man. How I felt it's unfair twice, life is unfair sometimes but you have to get the positive out of life. I can't keep sitting and sulking. Like I said, it's okay. This is not called failing. In life, it's okay if you didn't win. You won something else and that is important. Who even remembers who won 15 years back? Nobody cares about what the person who won the show 10 years back is doing today. When you keep standing, working, have the passion to work, you will reach where you have to. When you do, you will earn the level of fame and money, no win or loss will matter.

Now that Boom Baam is in the grand finale, what is your feeling like?

I'm so happy for him man. He'll make me so proud. He's playing so good. I'm so happy for him. The first finalist.

Were you expecting this somewhere?

Of course. I knew he would be in top five but didn't know he would come first. I'm so happy for him. He's playing so well. He's a great person, actually. He's so enthusiastic and more than anything else, dil ka saaf hai. No malicious behaviour ever. He does things for entertainment but he can't be mean or play below-the-belt. He says some things when hyper but he's a gem of a person.

We know and love you as an actor. Then, you started taking reality shows. We got to know why through Lock Upp. I'm hoping that the situation is better now, is it?

Of course it is. I'm one of those people who doesn't care what people think about me. It's my life. I know everybody's going through some debt problem. Someone has taken a home, somebody bought a car and others started their business but everybody is under debt. It's important to risk it to grow big. I risked it. I made a film because I wanted to. It didn't work but that's okay. It will be recovered but I won't lose my mind over something like that. I can't live in self-pity. I have my family, kids, passion. What else do I need? I want my people or people who don't even know me, to see me. I'm in a very successful stage in my life in terms of my career. I still get calls to do things. They pay me the price I want as well. Of course, because I have struggled to be where I am as an actor so I choose my roles and won't just do anything. All the shows I did were channel drivers. They got highest TRPs and people appreciated my work so I won't do just anything. I'm okay. My life is going well in terms of daily expenses are taken care of. The big debt that I have to pay off, that is also happening. They are also waiting and I appreciate that about them. They don't bother or harrow me. When the time comes, I'll produce a couple of movies. I'm doing business as well. I'm doing everything because I love life. It's important to fight and stand up. Life tries to pull me down but I get back up, ready to fight. That's how you should be. You don't need to self-pity but fight back. I'm 39 but I feel the energy of a 19-year-old. I want people to bring it on. For me, it's almost like the energy of a youngster who enters and wants to be someone. At 39, I'm feeling that. It's very important to have that drive - when you see yourself at that point.

Are you going to stick to reality shows? Are you going back to acting? What's next for KV?

There are a lot of things. I haven't spoken to anybody about this. My team is into production. Reality shows will take a break for sometime. I'm doing two music videos. There's another web series being written. That would happen after two-three months but what I want to do is, I want to do some residential theatre workshops like AdiShakti. I want to remould myself. There are times when you are stuck in a role in your mind. I want to break that and be like Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Manoj Bajpayee, Pankaj Tripathi or Sanjay Mishra ji, who do roles so effortlessly when they work in their roles. I want to remould myself so probably in the next two months I'll be doing a lot of workshops. I'm in the process of unlearning to be able to learn more.