Priya Malik’s a wild card

The only Indian contestant to have been part of Bigg Brother Australia will now be entering Bigg Boss as a wild card. Priya Malik, a standup comedian and schoolteacher, had a controversial stint on Bigg Brother after being the target of some racial slurs.

Speaking to us after landing in Mumbai for the show, Priya shared, “I’m originally from Dehradun but moved to Australia with my husband. Bigg Brother Australia has been on air for 11 years, but I’m the only Indian contestant to have participated.”

Priya says being subjected to the racism on BB Australia made her a stronger person. “A lot of people can't handle who I am. Indians abroad are stereotyped as the arranged marriage-vegetarian people, I want to change that,” she says. Priya also said that Bigg Boss would hopefully pave the way for a future in films: “I’m realistic. I won’t have Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan bidding for me outside my house but I want to be a popular face among the audience and try my luck in Indian movies.” As for who she sees as her competition, Priya says, “Mandana Karimi is popular but she does a lot of inhuman things and so does Kishwer Merchant. If Keith comes back, he would be my competition because he was the only sensible person. But he can be boring, so that's an advantage for me.”