Actor and singer Shehnaaz Gill won the hearts of audiences and Salman Khan alike with her memorable stint in Bigg Boss 13. Now, her brother Shehbaz Badesha is all set to bring his charm and personality to Bigg Boss 19 as the season’s first wildcard contestant.

Before the season began, the makers gave fans a choice between Shehbaz and Mridul Tiwari to decide who should enter the Bigg Boss 19 house. The audience picked Mridul, which meant Shehbaz had to return home right after the premiere. But now, he’s finally stepping back into the house. In an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, Shehbaz opened up about his journey, gameplay, and dynamics inside the house.

“I’ll play real, not strategic”

Shehbaz shared that he doesn’t have any grand strategies for the show and will just show his real personality. Talking about his rift with Mridul, he clarified, “No, I don’t think it will continue because on stage, Mridul started it first by questioning my confidence. Mujhe toh pehle bhi bachcha lagta tha aur abhi bhi bachcha lagta hai. (I found him immature earlier, and I still do).”

Strongest and weakest contestants

On the strongest contestant, Shehbaz explained, “For me, strong doesn’t mean inner strength, but who is loved by the audience. So right now, Abhishek Bajaj is the strongest, and Natalia is the weakest.”

On the Baseer–Farhana love angle

Viewers have noticed sparks between Baseer Ali and Farhana Bhatt, but Shehbaaz wasn’t convinced, “Actually, it’s very fake from Baseer’s side. Just two days ago, during a task, Farhana was troubling him, and he said, ‘I love you, Farhana.’ But when she left, he told others, ‘Karna padta hai isko bhagane ke liye (I have to say it just to make her go away).’ So, it’s all fake.”

On Shehnaaz Gill backing his entry in Bigg Boss 19

When asked about people saying he got the show only because of his sister, Shehnaaz, Shehbaz responded confidently, “Acchi baat hai agar meri behan ki wajah se mila hai. Agar aapki koi behan hai toh aap bhi use karo (It’s a good thing if I got this because of my sister. If you have a sister, you should use that too). If it were only because of Shehnaaz, 6-7 dhakke nahi khaye hote maine (I wouldn’t have faced 6–7 rejections) and kept manifesting this. I got it because of my destiny and Shehnaaz’s blessings. If people compare me to her, I’m proud.”

On comparisons between season 13 and season 19, Shehbaz said, “Bigg Boss 13 alag tha aur contestants alag the. Yeh alag hai. (Bigg Boss 13 was different; the contestants were different. This is different). Digitally, Bigg Boss has grown a lot since then. Both seasons are good in their own way, and I think season 19 will also be one of the best.”

Fans remember Shehbaz’s short but fun appearance in Bigg Boss 13 during the family week, where he entertained both Salman Khan and the audience. With his wildcard entry in season 19, it remains to be seen whether he will bring light-hearted entertainment or shake things up with drama. Bigg Boss 19 streams on JioCinema at 9 pm and airs on Colors at 10:30 pm every day.