‘Reality shows aren’t game changers’

The name Rithvik Dhanjani seems to have become synonymous with reality shows. He has hosted multiple shows, and has participated in four reality shows. As he heads to Spain for yet another one of them, he shares his thoughts about these kinds of shows. He says, “I have hosted and participated in several dance shows, but I feel reality shows aren’t game changers or pathbreaking. I don’t think reality shows affect an actor’s career. If an actor is good at his craft, then nothing can change that or add to that and vice versa. They are just shows where one enjoys performing. There is nothing that changes in one’s career after winning or losing a reality show. Sure, you get brownie points in terms of more fan following, more popularity but these shows are just for entertainment.” Rithvik enjoys reality shows as they give him the opportunities that he wouldn’t have otherwise got as an actor.

After starting his career with Pavitra Rishta, he got “no other show that thrilled” him to sign it. It’s then that his hosting career took off. “Being a host is a different challenge than being an actor. In any reality show, your mental strength is of prime importance. The shows I have been a contestant on have been life altering and given me enriching experiences, and I am proud of those experiences,” adds the actor.

Talking about his varied experiences on reality shows, he says, “Doing reality shows as a contestant changes your perspective and the way you think. They are as good as a college competition, where you prepare for it and the end of the day, the experience changes you. People say that these shows are rigged, but I don’t think any of them are scripted.”

He will be away from Mumbai for more than six weeks for his next reality show while his girlfriend Asha Negi has gone to Australia for a shoot. He says he will miss her tremendously and “will have to surprise her” there.

Nothing changes in one’s career after winning or losing a reality show. RITHVIK DHANJANI, ACTOR