Bigg Boss has made its mark in Tamil after nine seasons in Hindi. Kamal is quite a brilliant host but what’s more interesting is each contestant being different from the other. While most act, very few chooses to be genuine and one such contestant is Oviya, an actress who made her mark in Kollywood through the movie ‘Kalavaani’. While nearly 4 crore viewers are glued to the reality show every evening, here’s a viewer’s take on Oviya which basically answers why she is being saved by the audience during every nomination.
“I’ve had this mulling over in my mind for a few days now and here goes…
When she came in I thought of her just as a pretty face to glam up the show, we all did I’m sure. I remarked casually in a group about how I’d watch the whole 100 days just for her. Funny how true that is turning out to be. But then as a few days went by she seemed like a genuinely fun person to be around. I remember I made a status about how her behavior is amazingly similar to her’s in Kalavaani. But then now, there’s a whole new dimension to her coming out in recent days. It’s clear that she’s been through a lot of tough phases in her career.
It wasn’t evident initially but it’s brimming to the surface now. A young pretty outgoing actress, fresh in the field, looking for opportunities, it’s not too hard to guess what went down. We’ve all heard the rumors. A word she says here and there when she discusses other people’s problems (‘என் lifeல இப்படித்தான் நிறைய பாத்துட்டேன்’ ‘அதுக்கப்புறம் நான் இப்படி மாறிட்டேன்’ – I have seen a lot in life after which I have become what I am today), she has some deep sadness inside her but she seems to have come to terms with it. People who go through them usually develop an acute awareness to other people’s sufferings.
It bothers them on a personal level. You see her trying to connect with the weakest person to help them out. That is a character trait that I have mad respect for. You saw her standing up courageously to Gayathri, not afraid to point her out for her wickedness. You see her not adding to the pressure, trying to solve problems, trying to lighten the atmosphere wherever possible. These are classic traits. I’m surprised every day by how much I relate to her increasingly.
She is comfortable in her own skin, refuses to participate in the drama flying thick around. She gives out considerate practical advice to people who are finding it difficult, doesn’t overdo it, is not domineering, doesn’t impose on anybody. Sometimes she seems like such an old soul in the house. She realises and accepts that the world is not fair, she knows its not perfect, she knows how it can hurt certain type of people, how vulnerable they are, how cruel it can be to people who arent equipped by their nature to respond in the same way.
Yes it does help that she is hot, she has a natural charm to her that is irresistible but of course she realises this and is honest about this. She doesnt put on fake airs, doesnt play the victim card. She knows how messed up gender roles in our society have lead to this. She is not fake about it and perhaps that is what is so endearing about her to the menfolk. She wears attractive outfits, dances merrily but ultimately is so graceful about it all. Perhaps girls dont get it and thus they find it funny or mockable when guys are suddenly so crazy about her and adore her.
Guys sense it and their interest is aroused, this is a very rare entity, Im just attempting to articulate using words employing my own limited means, the phenomenon that is her. Of course all of this is purely my perception of it.
Im seeing so many young people here who use it as an excuse to turn bitter, to turn hateful or hurtful. Which is just sad, there’s no reason to add to the negativity around. I see them passing snide, unnecessary remarks knowing full well its effect on the person intended, thinking that they are entitled to it having gone through tough times themselves. Yes I know its hard, it makes no sense, kids going through dark phases they dont even understand, not even realising that there is a word for it, for no fault of theirs, learning about it as they grow up.
There is no competition about who had it harder. Its impossible to enter into the other’s mind so to each his own. Its about going through the storm and emerging out scarred but not broken. Being brave to be yourself again. I admit that I’ve seen only about 30% of the show, in between Wimbledon breaks, Il be watching lesser and lesser of it as it goes forward.I do not find it either stimulating or entertaining.
I dont think its capable of having a positive effect on the social psyche. Ideologically Im opposed to the content of it and hence I refuse to participate in the voting ever, even if it boils down to Oviya versus some other person in the last week. I could go on and on about the other participants, about how they compare with her, the interplays but truth is I dont think it is significant. I do not care who wins it.
I do not care about the shenanigans they pull off in the process. Being cooped up in such a house, with such housemates can be incredibly stressful and Oviya herself might react differently in the coming days, Im not overly concerned about it. For now, Im grateful to Oviya for being a symbol, a symbol of resistance, of hope, of moral decency, of maturity, of kindness amongst all the chaos and madness in an increasingly polarising world. For the goodness of her heart.
Its not so much about who she is, rather its about what she represents. Lets celebrate her, let her tribe increase. Maybe we dont realise how precious it is yet.”
