Well look who dropped into MissMalini HQ last week! Male model and ex Bigg Boss 7 contestant Asif Azim. We get the Bangladeshi male model to spill the beans on how he got his break in fashion and what nearly broke him in the Bigg Boss house. Watch! (The interview is split in 3 parts, make sure you scroll all the way down to see all 3 videos!)
Psst! Stay tuned for a message for all his Bengali-speaking fans as well! 🙂
Interview Part 1
TRANSCRIPT (PART 1)
Below is a full-transcript of Part 1 our interview with Asif:
On His Bigg Boss Strategy:
Asif Azim: I’ve been offered Bigg Boss for the last three years, but I never wanted to do it… Bigg Boss has given me a huge platform to connect with the mass people. The house was very very stressful. I wanted to be just myself like how I am outside, that was my task for myself, not to win Bigg Boss, or make controversy, or abuse people or fight with the people. I always had a motto to be positive and make them positive. At the end of the day I failed, I could not change them – 14 people. But 14 people together could not change me. I came the way I went, with respect. I was happy in Bigg Boss, now I am much more happy.
On negativity in the Bigg Boss House:
I’ve seen a lot of negativity… I told the celebrities I’m disturbed by what is happening on the roadside in our country. If you treat women like this don’t you think the kids they will follow you because they will think this is “style”? I told them not to do all this kind of negative publicity just to be on Bigg Boss long term, I also told them there is life beyond Bigg Boss and to think about that. This is not your whole life, this is just for three months, so don’t lose everything you’ve gained in your whole life just for this, but I think they forgot. They forgot everything, the feelings of the audience, the feelings of their families…
On daily life in the bigg boss house:
The Bigg Boss house itself was very stressful, if you are a smoker and might you ask for a cigarette they won’t send you one for 2-3 days, then you’ll get a biddi with your name on it after three days. Mentally you are very stressed out. In the morning we never used to get food. I used to get only one apple for breakfast and a little bit of rice, some dal. We used to get just one or two kilos rice for seven days.
On Group Dynamics in the Bigg Boss House:
After some time people who had trained for reality shows, like Gauhar Khan had done 8 reality shows, she would always remember the camera is there and we have to act like that. The first 10 days it was very difficult for me to react in a certain way based on the camera. I have known Gauhar for 8 years and suddenly Kushal Tandon would come and “say you can’t say that,” or “don’t do this because the camera is there.” I told them I haven’t come here to be in a group or do politics. They used to think I’m in the other group, later they realised I’m not in a group at all.
On Facilities in the Bigg Boss House:
I cook, they couldn’t deny that I have magic in my hand! Food is the one thing that would help you enjoy their heart, then they won’t vote you out! There was only one toilet and shower in the house, that would freak you out. It was very stressful. I would wake up early and stay up very late… there’s no sleep as well, they can wake you up anytime they want.
INTERVIEW PART 2
TRANSCRIPT (PART 2)
On Gauhar Khan:
It’s not about the friendship, I will not be friends with somebody who lose as a person just for small things. She’s the only person who doesn’t listen, in her book there is no right or wrong – if you need to win, you need to win. Today in my book she is the most hated person in my entire life but I hope she will come out and explain why she had to do it and if she convinces me she will be my friend. If she can’t convince me then I’ll not stand for anybody like that who can change as a person just for a reality show.
Rapid Fire:
Favourite Bigg Boss Contestant: Heaven the dog.
Meanest Bigg Boss Contestant: Armaan Kohli
Most likely to win: Tanisha Mukerji or Andy Kumar. Tanisha for her family background, TRPs, fan following and Andy because he is entertaining. Kamya Panjabi doesn’t have too many votes because of her foul mouth. But I hope Arman doesn’t win. He would always come and say I’ll fight with you tomorrow we’ll both get footage. Footage doesn’t mean anything to me. End of the day all the contestants were very irritating for me, they would say the same thing again and again…. You cannot make real what is not real… Bigg Boss did not ask you to do these things.
On Salman Khan:
Salman Khan was always fond of me because he likes genuine people… I am the only person who didn’t break the rules. If I did, I could have killed some of them. I don’t normally fight, but you cannot disrespect women so much… at the end of the day I would say Bigg Boss is not a TV show it’s a puppet show.
INTERVIEW PART 3
TRANSCRIPT (PART 3)
On his background:
I am from Bangladesh, I grew up in a small village and then moved to Dhaka… I started modelling – went to Spain, Australia, Tokyo for fashion week. I started working in a small event company in Bangalore, after 6 months I moved to Bombay and got a professional portfolio. Male models make fun of other male models 🙂 it’s a lot of fun. You can count the number of male models in India in the last ten years there are maybe 5 or 4 or 3 faces.
On Male Modeling:
You get a lot of attention from girls, a lot of attention from designers because most of them are gay! I personally love that you get to travel a lot… you get to wear good clothes, you get to look good… sometimes you look in the mirror and laugh and think this is not me! You’re going to see me soon somewhere better than Bigg Boss, thats for sure.
Message to his fans in Bangladesh:
Translated from Bengali: Bangladesh is my strength and wherever you go you should always remember your roots.
And finally, Asif told us that he loves us and he called me bhabi because Nowshad and he have a Bong connection 🙂 How cute is that?