Kamal Haasan to host Tamil 'Bigg Boss', wants to 'bond' with contestants like Salman Khan

After speculation about Kamal Haasan making his television debut, the actor has finally confirmed that he would be hosting Bigg Boss Tamil version.

Speaking to Subhash K Jha for The Quint, Kamal said that he would indeed be hosting the show and that he wanted to know what being part of reality television was like.

“Yes, I am doing Bigg Boss in Tamil. I’ve tried many different roles in various capacities as an entertainer but never as a host on a television show. Reality television is so far not a reality in my career. I want to see what it feels like,” he said.

The actor is also shooting for his upcoming film Sabaash Naidu while Vishwaroopam 2 is in its post-production stage. Will his packed schedule come in the way of hosting Bigg Boss?

The actor said that the Bigg Boss schedules had been worked into the existing ones and that he would see how it went. Sabaash Naidu, a trilingual comedy, was to have been directed by TK Rajeev Kumar but Kamal Haasan took over the reins after the director fell ill.

The shooting was delayed when Kamal fractured his foot in July last year. The film is based on the character of Balram Naidu which Kamal had played in Dasavatharam.

Praising Salman Khan for his hosting skills in the Hindi version of Bigg Boss, Kamal said that he did a “wonderful job” and that he appreciated how he connected with the contestants. He noted that Salman Khan doesn’t indulge in pretense and that he doesn’t patronize the inmates of the house either.

“And he gives advice as a friend, not as a mentor. There is none of the I-know-better superiority in his attitude,” Kamal said about Salman, “He has brought the ‘Brother’ back into Bigg Boss,” he added, referring to the original Big Brother series from which Bigg Boss is inspired.

Kamal stated that he wanted to emulate Salman’s ability to strike a rapport and "bond" with the contestants, but that this would also depend on whether the contestants saw him as a mentor or a friend.

But what makes the versatile actor confident about this entry into reality television?

His experience in dealing with human nature, he says. Saying that he had a “comprehensive grasp” on it, qualifying him to “give advice”, Kamal quipped that it was “exciting” to foray into a new territory.

Like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan had stayed away from endorsing products and doing advertisements, even as the younger stars took to the ad world happily. However, Kamal recently appeared in an ad for textile brand Pothys, breaking his long-held rule.