- India
- International
As Bigg Boss OTT season 3 kickstarts, one contestant who seems to be winning hearts with her personality is influencer Shivani Kumari. The young Uttar Pradesh-based influencer made a humble entry as she joined Anil Kapoor on the Bigg Boss OTT 3 stage. In an exclusive interview with Indianexpress.com, before the launch, Shivani shared the struggles she faced to become popular, how she got beaten by her mother when she started creating content, and how coming on Bigg Boss OTT 3 is like a dream come true for her.
View this post on Instagram
Sharing how her journey with content creation began, Shivani said, “I come from a very small village. I don’t have a father or brother. I am the youngest of four sisters. I come from a very poor home. I had no proper house, and there have been times we had no food to eat. My mother always felt that if she had a son, things would be different, I didn’t like my mother getting burdened with the responsibility of four daughters. So I wanted to be like a son to her. I started making videos, and when those became popular, the village objected to it. My mother beat me, they boycotted us, wanted to expel me from the village. I was told I brought shame to the village, but I turned a deaf ear. I worked so hard at making videos that people started liking me. Today, it is a dream coming true as I enter Bigg Boss OTT 3.”
Shivani Kumari also shared how life changed after she became famous. Shivani said, “After becoming famous, those who wanted to expel me from my village say that I have made them proud. They use my name to represent the village now. I feel nice about it, my hard work has paid off.” Maintaining a humble stance, Shivani adds that of she goes long in the game it will be an inspiration back home. “If I go ahead in the show, it will encourage lakhs of women in my village to also step out. They get suppressed, are not given any rights, they want to do a lot, but are not given an opportunity. If I win the show, they will get inspired. So this show is a big deal to me.”
She added, “If I win the show, I will still prefer being down to earth. I will never forget my roots, no matter the fame I get, I will always represent UP. I want to help people with the money I make, I anyways help the poor a lot. Whatever I earn, I give an amount of it to the needy.”
When asked if finalist Manisha Rani from last season gave her the courage to come on such a big platform, Shivani shared that Manisha has helped her a lot. She said, “Manisha Rani is like an elder sister to me. She has encouraged me a lot. She said don’t fight with anybody, and don’t get nervous seeing big celebrities. Don’t feel inferior about being different from others.”
View this post on Instagram
Talking about being nervous as she will be surrounded by so many cameras, Shivani said, “I am not nervous, because I shoot content for 8 to 10 hours usually. I blog so I am not worried. Those who are conscious about their makeup need to worry, I am not.”
On a concluding note, Shivani Kumar said she wishes to go to Bollywood after Bigg Boss OTT. The influencer added, “I trust people easily but I also use my brains. I don’t wish bad for anyone, if someone is doing good, I feel happy. I support them unconditionally.”