Abu Malik: “I Was a Soft Target and Subsequently, Pushed Out”

Abu Malik hails from a prestigious Indian musical lineage. His father Sardar Malik and his brothers – Daboo and Anu Malik are recognised, composers.

Aside from organising shows, Malik claims to have produced and performed in nearly 10,000 shows around the globe, with all top Bollywood stars. He has also written a book.

He has also appeared in a few films, including Salman Khan-Kajol starrer Jab Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya.

After surviving three weeks in the Bigg Boss house, Abu has been knocked out in another shocking eviction, which he faced with Siddharth Dey.

In an exclusive interview with Filme Shilmy, Abu Malik reflects over his Bigg Boss 13 journey and how he has settled in post leaving the house.

You’ve become the third evicted housemate. How disappointing is it for you?

I expected to leave during the fourth week, where they would be selecting new people. I came out just a week earlier.

I didn’t mind the eviction at all if it was just on votes where Siddharth Dey and I were going out.

Salman Khan called us back and said only one of us was leaving, according to whoever the ladies would vote out.

During this vote, there were six in the other group and four in ours, I should’ve just stopped the procedure and said:

“Let it go… Why put them into this mess when I know that the four are not going to be with me.

I was going to be voted out anyway, so let me walk out?”

To give them (the housemates) the ‘power’ to ‘vote’ me out would be very stupid to say.

Why do you feel this has happened?

I think there are numerous reasons. Number one, I didn’t get into unnecessary fights – which was a planned approach on my side.

I didn’t mind singing, dancing, entertaining people, but I wasn’t interested in arguing with others.

Also, I did not wish to seek a connection with any of the other women in the house.

That connection is very important because they have the power to vote you out.

I had a strong connection with two fantastic people Asim and Siddharth Shukla. We three together were quite a riot together.

That camaraderie was not shown to the audience which is a shame because we presented a lot of friendship and memories, despite being people of different ages.

There have been several statements about the show being biased. What is your take on it?

I don’t know if the show is biased, but they have a kind of relay that they want to make every day on television for what content they wish to catch.

They have the right to do that because they have put us inside and wish to obtain footage.

When they catch that content, they are in their rights to show it.

If someone is continuously not giving content to them, then it’s time to get rid of them.

I could be one of the guys who is not giving that kind of attention.

When I came out, I learnt that they were focusing on active fights between two people.

Whereas the other people who are having fun or talking, they aren’t shown as much.

I think it’s in their jurisdiction/power to show whatever they want.

You endured a lot recently in the torture task…

My right arm (even now) is burnt whilst they put on a lot of bleach and red chillies.

I knew for sure that Paras, Dey, Asim and I wouldn’t leave our hands… We were sure to face whatever comes in.

We started the game thinking it’s about endurance, but then I realised that people are allowed to do whatever they wish to break our hands apart.

I’m asthmatic and before I know it, tons of powder was poured all over my face, followed by chillies and peppers.

Even after the task was declared as a truce, another girl (Devoleena) comes in and puts more pepper on Asim’s face.

That is when I lost my cool and abused her, then the other girls became my enemies too. But they just need a cause for doing.

I repeatedly told people that I may be evicted any time now, so I was a soft target and subsequently, pushed out.

What went through your mind during it?

I was worried about the harsh reaction to my asthma with powder getting into my lungs.

I was unable to breathe for some time. Then I realised that if I were to give up, then the boy (Asim) would suffer because of me.

In my mind, I was thinking that I was rescuing him but later on, I realised that if I got out of the nomination, it was I who could’ve been saved because Asim was already safe due to his big fan-following.

To be honest, my age just came in between. Simple activities like reading the notes were not given to me in prime time because they didn’t want people to see me too much.

Obviously, had I been seen more, then I would’ve got more votes.

In our country, people of elderly age are not considered to be working. I’m in my late 60s, but people retire at the age of 56.

However, I’m a different breed of a man. I don’t measure anything by age.

Anywhere else in the world, I think a 60-year-old would be considered to be a person who has just become a man.

Here it’s the assumption that we’re supposed to go and die. Having said that though, the boys (Siddharth Shukla and Asim) understood me.

How have people reacted towards you after coming out of the house?

Some have messaged me saying that this eviction was unexpected. Some of them were expecting Mahira or Dey to leave the house.

They were shocked by the news of me leaving the house. However, I’m okay with it.

My mind tells me that as a housemate, you have to deliver for them to run their show.

Anyone else would complain of various things, but I am not one to do that. 

Given that your brothers Anu and Daboo have created an identity for themselves, do you feel satisfied in doing so after coming on Bigg Boss?

I don’t know if it got the opportunity to get recognised, but the name did emerge a bit. 

I wanted my music to come out. I’ve been singing songs for people like Salman Khan, I have been making those songs right in front of them.

Wolf music is a brand that I am trying to promote and I have 200 such recording songs which are funny and full of fun, I look at things in a humorous manner.

I have even written a book called ‘Rantings of a Mad Man’ which is available on Amazon, that puts my perspective across to people. 

They could’ve shown one-minutes of footage in an hour’s programme, but they did not.

Despite that it’s still early days, but who do you feel could be a potential winner and why?

I think Sidharth Shukla, Paras Chhabra and Shehnaaz Gill are front-running at the moment.

They have some potential in portraying work and can do something out there. 

However, the TV actresses (Devoleena and Rashami), I feel they are waiting on their past glory and doing nothing.

Somebody must’ve told them cooking food is the best ticket to success in the Bigg Boss house.

They have nothing to offer to the audience in any such manner that they are, except that they keep on scheming.

Though it’s only been three weeks, what has been the biggest learning for you?

I’ve learnt that we really can survive without social media, technologies and outside news. We can all be cut away from everything to be our creative self.

Even without reading books/newspapers, watching television or listening to music, just spending time with a companion and nature, this can help us.

Try doing this for two days and step out, you would be in a different spirit.

I would say that disconnect is possible, it’s not as bad as one would imagine.

Listen to the full interview with Abu Malik here:

Now that you’ve done Bigg Boss, what are your future plans?

I normally do shows. At the same time, I’m recording my wolf music as well as making a long array of filmy Bollywood songs.

I used to sing a lot of filmy Bollywood songs on the show (I don’t know how much of it was shown). 

But there were all brand new songs which I was making on the spot.

I want to do live shows with my wolf band, totally filmy. 

I hope that I get such an opportunity in the future. If not, then I will keep doing shows which I’ve done since childhood.

Bigg Boss 13 airs every day from 21:30 on Colors TV UK.