Chum Darang was announced as a contestant on Bigg Boss 18 during its grand premiere last night. This is the first time that a contestant from north-east India is a part of the show and she’s eager to familiarise the audience with her roots and culture. Inclusivity, representation and diversity has become key when it comes to casting for films and OTT projects today and with Bigg Boss 18, Chum plans on taking it a step ahead.

In an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, she says, “This is the first time I’ve been offered Bigg Boss. Everybody watches Bigg Boss and it’s a big show. I took it up because I looked at it as an opportunity to tell people that I come from a very beautiful state – Arunachal Pradesh. It will be something new for people to watch someone from that part of the country. People from Arunachal Pradesh or north-eastern India don’t get such chances too often. One of the main reasons I’m doing this show is for people to see how diverse our country is.”

However, the one thing the Gangubai Kathiawadi and Badhaai Do actor was particularly looking forward to was getting an up-close-and-personal chance to see Salman Khan, who’s reprising his role as the host this season too. “I was really excited to meet Salman Khan. And that’s what I had been discussing with my friends as well. I had seen him only on TV. And it was different to see him in person. I was excited to touch him while shaking hands (laughs),” she remarks.

But along with excitement, Chum admits to being nervous. Talking about it, she says, “I’m really looking forward to my journey inside the house. I’m both excited and nervous. This is something different that I’m going to do. I’ll be sharing my personal space, bed and bathroom with so many strangers. I’m not used to these things. That’s why I’m nervous.”

The other thing that has been worrying her is being under the constant scrutiny of the cameras. And that’s why she has taken the decision to not put on a façade. “There will be cameras recording me 24×7. I don’t think you can put on an image for a long time inside the house. After a point of time, you’ll forget that there are cameras. I’m not even planning anything. Being in the presence of cameras is going to become a way of life. I’m just going to be myself from day one. I don’t want to pretend or be somebody I’m not,” Chum tells us.

The theme of Bigg Boss 18 is ‘time ka taandav’ and much like its previous seasons, this one too promises to be a chapter marked with high-voltage drama as its tagline goes, ‘Iss baar ghar mein bhuchaal aayega, kyunki Bigg Boss mein Time Ka Taandav chaayega’. The other contestants of this season include Alice Kaushik, Vivian DSena, Shilpa Shirodkar, Avinash Mishra, Karan Veer Mehra and Shehzada Dhami, among others.