Ex Bigg Boss Kannada contestant Rahman says he did not know he was mired in controversies

Ex Bigg Boss Kannada contestant Rahman Haseeb has come a long way. From earning Rs 25 per day to becoming a household name, the journey has not been easy. In an exclusive interview with Timesofindia.com, Rahman spoke about his struggle, current projects and why he chose to do Bigg Boss Kannada leaving behind a 10-year-old flourishing news anchoring career. Tell us how did your journey with Television begin? I was like a regular boy, doing my BSc in Electronics and then wanted to pursue my MBA. But destiny had other plans. As any other family, we watched Kannada news at home on a daily basis. My sister always pointed out to me the pronunciation errors made by news anchors. I had the habit of reading newspapers every day. My sister encouraged me to give it a try. With the help of my friend, I got a job of a news anchor at a cable channel of Hassan. I used to get Rs.25 per day. Thereafter, I was then invited by a leading channel in Chennai for news reading. I worked there for a few months and then I got a call from a Karnataka's leading news channel for an interview. I cleared the interview and also got the joining date for my new job. I resigned from my previous company and came to Bengaluru with a lot of dreams and aspirations.I was denied the job on the popular channel on my first day. But on the day of my joining, I was denied the job. I was left completely clueless and perplexed as I didn't know what to do. There were some people, who were not too keen to have me on board. I had to literally beg the director of the popular channel for the job. On the other hand, I don't know what made him entrust his faith on me. At that time I was a complete stranger to him. He went against all and took the risk of offering the job back to me. I will always remain indebted to him for having faith on me. There was no looking back after that. The journey wasn't easy, but I fought all odds to survive and when I look back, I feel happy that I didn't let down the people, who kept faith on me. What made you say yes to the project like Bigg Boss Kannada and leave behind a flourishing career as a news anchor? I continued to get a lot of offers from news channels and I knew I will retire as a journalist but I always had the urge of doing something out of the box. Just when I was considering options, I got an offer to participate in ‘Bigg Boss Kannada Season 3’, I thought it would be a good breather considering I had worked in the field of journalism relentlessly for over 10 years. I was expecting to be out in first 3-4 weeks but people took me to the finals. Tell us a few things that you personally experienced inside the Bigg Boss Kannada house...It is very difficult to put the experience into words. Although, it did not affect me much because I was not pretending. The experience has taught me a lot of patience for sure.The complete disconnect from your family and the world can sometimes bring out the worst in you. But the challenge in the Bigg Boss house was more about how we survive and live amongst strangers from various backgrounds.It’s not necessary to win the show. If you can retain yourself amidst constant fights, nagging, character assassination, you have truly won. The season you were a part of had quite a few controversial names. What was your experience like in the house with your co-contestants? I think our season was a mixed bag. It had very popular celebrities to even common and controversial people. It was sometimes bitter-sweet but overall I had a very cordial relationship with everyone. I got along very well with some commoners. It is uncomplicated and I like it that way. We try to keep in touch every now and then. From a news anchor to a reality TV star to movies… what has been the toughest challenge in this journey of yours? I believe reaching out to people who can offer me good projects is a struggle. I am a very shy person that way. I can't ask for work. I like being offered work for my talent. Lately, I have realised it is slightly difficult to survive with such qualities.How has life changed post-Bigg Boss Kannada? I didn't know I was mired in controversies. A person, who always read news about others, had suddenly become news himself. It was a bitter pill to swallow but my family's support gave me the strength to overcome it. I got a few offers for hosting TV, stage shows and acting in films initially but survival is still a struggle. I played a vital role in Jaguar. I have completed 2 films. One thing is for sure there are more people who recognise me now and not just news watchers.You are doing films as well as hosting TV shows for an entertainment channel. How does Rahman manage to strike a balance between the two? For a person who is used to working round the clock, I think what I am doing is very little. I have more potential which needs to be tapped and I am yet to give my 100 per cent. Balancing between works is like a cakewalk for me now. When it comes to Television I enjoyed hosting the reality TV show Champions. The show only had women as contestants and was based loosely on Khatron Ke Khiladi. The contestants would battle amongst themselves every week. What was interesting about the show was the girls nicknamed me Ring Master and Hitler as well because I was a strict host when it came to their performances in the task. I got the opportunity to also host Bigg Boss Night Shift which was a segment based on the unseen footage inside Bigg Boss Kannada's house. It definitely gave audiences an extra dose of the hit reality TV show. The other side to Rahman 3 Things people don’t know about you are:Not as arrogant as people sometimes think I am.Sensitive.Good Cook. If not a TV personality I would be: I just went with the flow, I was carefree. I am really wondering now.My biggest support system is: My Self Confidence, my family and friends.4 things I cannot live without: OxygenWaterFoodSelf-respectMy favourite movie :PKA fitness routine that I follow every day: I consume a glass of warm water in the morning with an empty stomach. Then I mostly have two boiled egg whites. I have Ragi mudde and a small amount of rice for lunch. In the evenings, I do a quick workout in the gym, to keep myself fit. I end my day with two ‘chapatis’ or a meal of chicken on alternate days. A role I would like to essay on-screen :Abhishek Bachchan in Sarkar and Sudeep's role in Vaali (Deaf n Dumb role-negative)