‘I wanted to do something different,’ Anil Kapoor on hosting ‘Bigg Boss OTT 3’

Actor Anil Kapoor, who has taken over the hosting duties of Bigg Boss OTT 3 from his friend Salman Khan, on Tuesday said it would be wrong to say he has "replaced" the superstar as both of them have their own standing.

Colors TV reality show “Bigg Boss” is synonymous with Khan, who has been hosting it since its fourth season. To anchor the proceedings for the third season of its OTT version, the makers have roped in Kapoor.

Kapoor, who has co-starred with Khan in films such as “No Entry”, “Race 3”, “Biwi No. 1”, and “Yuvvraaj”, said the former presenter is excited about him stepping in as the host.

"He is irreplaceable and so am I. Everyone's asking this question but it is very wrong. Nobody can replace Salman Khan. Similarly, nobody can replace Anil Kapoor. I spoke to him about it and he was excited that I’ve now taken over a non-fiction show.

"I wanted to do something different for a long time now. I’ve done many movies, judged shows but have never done anything like 'Bigg Boss', so I’m very excited for it," the actor told reporters in Mumbai at the press conference of "Bigg Boss OTT" season three.

Calling Khan his younger brother and friend, Kapoor said "replacement" was an incorrect term and that actors often get replaced due to various reasons.

"Everyone has work, sometimes for some reason one can't do it or doesn't have time to do it. Recently, I've been replaced. I don't know the reason for getting replaced, but these things happen.

"Many people have replaced me, I've also replaced people. We are just doing a job, we should do it with a lot of sincerity and honesty," he added.

The 67-year-old also seemed unfazed when asked about being trolled on social media and being pitted against Khan as a host.

“Do it (trolling). How does it matter? Trolling is a part of life now. It is a part of social media, you have to face it. I've worked with honesty and sincerity, and by the grace of God, most of the times it (response) has been positive.

"Sometimes, a few things didn't work. Even when things don’t work, I still keep on doing different things. I've been here (in the industry) for 45 years and I must've done something right (in my career) that I'm still here today,” he said.

Kapoor, who was last seen in this year's action drama "Fighter", said he is looking forward to exploring newer kinds of films and shows, like "Bigg Boss OTT 3".

"I'm at the stage in my career where I want to do something I've never done before. I've done in a way a non-fiction thing on the film front, which was a global success that is 'Slumdog Millionaire'.

"I've done fiction shows on OTT ('The Night Manager') and television ('24'). So, this ('Bigg Boss OTT 3') was something I had not done. I thought why not do this? I'm happy to do it," he said.

Fights are common in every household and Kapoor said, as the host, he will deal with controversies in the "Bigg Boss" house wisely.

"If someone crosses a line, I'll have to be fair and firm. There would be a few things, which would be controversial in 'Bigg Boss' and they might be uncomfortable as well but all these things happen and that happens in life too. How you handle it is important.

"If the contestant will lie to me, I can handle that. I'll get to know if he or she is lying to me. But if they lie to themselves then it would be bad. I'll have to show some empathy and discipline. I'll also have to speak wisely with them. I'll have to be true to myself. Maybe some people will like it, some won’t. But I promise to be true to myself in every situation," he added.

Any celebrity he would like to see in the "Bigg Boss" house?

Kapoor said he would like Khan, Kapil Sharma, Karan Johar and himself to feature as contestants on the reality show, which should be hosted by Amitabh Bachchan.

Starring over a dozen celebrity contestants, “Bigg Boss OTT 3” will premiere on June 21 at 9 pm on JioCinema Premium.

The makers have promised interactive features and an unfiltered ad-free 24-hour live channel, delivering an immersive OTT experience to audiences.

The upcoming season is produced by EndemolShine India, part of the Banijay Group.