JOIN USUtter the phrase ‘Ek number’ and you know who is being referred to. Yes, it is actor Ajaz Khan who shot to fame with Bigg Boss 7 and agreed for a chat with metrolife while touring the City recently.
“I am here to not only visit Delhi but also promote my upcoming film Ya Rab which will clear the misconceptions associated with the word ‘Jehaad’,” says the fun-loving artiste who strategically planned his tour around Republic Day to spread the awareness among the youth. “I play an honest cop, Ran Vijay Singh,” he informs in all seriousness, making it difficult for the interviewer to believe that he is the same person who left viewers rolling on the floor laughing, during his stay in the Bigg Boss house.
“No I don’t have a dual personality but I talk in my tapori-style with my friends and fans who watched the show,” he says and within no time his tone mellows taking a form that is more familiar to the ears. “Aap meri dost ban jao to main apse bhi ‘Aye bhai’ karke baat karunga,” he adds without worrying about his image in people’s mind, “Kuchh toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna,” and his poetic-side gets at work to charm the listener.
The job at hand remains pending and one forcefully drifts the talk back to his rising career graph which has been boosted post his BB 7 stint. “One day, after coming out of the BB house, I walked out of my home and was sure to bump into a trio of three kids who live in my building. They are 2, 5 and 7-year olds and hate me since the day I scared them. But this time, they shouted ‘Ek number manas’, the second they spotted me. This made me feel that have done something good,” he says with a sense of pride in his voice.
One can also sense a hint of doubt regarding his decision to be part of the reality show. Ajaz says he was in a dilemma since he “Had done films Rakhta Charitra and Allah Ke Banday after doing television and was sceptical of going back to a reality show,” says the BB 7 contestant who believes that his confidence made him win and not lose. “I defeated all my male contenders, so I am the winner. Ladkiyon se toh sabko haarna achcha lagta hai,” he states sounding happy about Gauhar Khan walking away with the trophy. “She is the right winner and not Tanisha ji. I tried to comfort Tanisha ji after Arman (Kohli) bhai was evicted but realised that she doesn’t consider everyone equal since she is born with a silver spoon.”
Above all, his being one among the finalists did help him attain his motive of making his family proud. “I wanted to do something so that my son doesn’t have to struggle as much as I did,” recollects the model-turned-actor who was spotted by Ram Gopal Varma while doing a TV show for Rakhta Charitra. Though the movie could not impress the Hindi audience, “It was a hit in Tamil and Telugu and I was subsequently flooded with offers from South Indian film industry.”
His recent South Indian films, Dookudu and Nayak have also been a hit at the box office and he has high hopes with his forthcoming Hindi release. Ask if he thinks he can carry a film as a hero and pat comes the reply, “When I could carry the whole BB show on my shoulder to ek film kya cheez hai!”