Sushant Divgikar, the winner of Mr Gay India 2014, hopes that his presence on the reality show Bigg Boss 8 can change perceptions of people about the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community.
“I think I can sensitise the people about my community by being the face of LGBT community in Bigg Boss,” Sushant told from Mumbai before entering the show, which began Sunday night.
The past seasons of Bigg Boss have seen names like Bobby Darling, Rohit Verma, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi and Begum Nawazish Ali, as LGBT representatives.
On his part, Sushant says he would feel overwhelmed if his presence on the show inspired someone to come out of the closet.
What if someone makes a personal remark on his sexuality?
“Your reaction reflects your upbringing. I would deal with the situation according to the intensity of the comment,” said Sushant, who has a double masters degree in psychology.
However, he has no intentions of using it to his advantage in the reality show.
The model entered the show “without any expectations” and is looking forward to having a great time.
He calls himself technology challenged, and has no hang ups about leaving behind his phone and gadgets to enter the world of Bigg Boss.
“I’m glad to leave my phone outside. It doesn’t cripple you in any way and makes you realise that you can live without your phone,” he said.
However, Sushant is apprehensive about being disconnected with the world.
“Not knowing what is happening around the world is frustrating for me. I need my intellectual stimulation from time to time,” he said.
The eighth season of Bigg Boss is beamed on Colors channel and is produced by Endemol India.