Zeishan Quadri says he is entering Bigg Boss 19 house as his true authentic self

Zeishan Quadri. Pics/Instagram

Everyone is battle-ready when they enter the controversial reality show Bigg Boss. However, writer, actor, and director Zeishan Quadri, who hails from Wasseypur, is confident that coming from a small locality in Dhanbad (Jharkhand), no one can one-up him in a fight. Guess instead of kattas and guns, Quadri will now have to sharpen his mind and words for a battle of wits in the 19th season. Right before heading into the closed-door show, mid-day got in touch with him to talk about his reasons and expectations from the series.

"I think I have been chosen because I am known to be someone who speaks his mind without any filters, and also because I have a substantial body of work," said Quadri, who made his debut as a writer and actor with Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur (2012). He made his directorial debut with Meeruthiya Gangsters (2015). "I think this must have been on the minds of the makers of Bigg Boss. The controversies [around me] are baseless, and are behind me; some people were using my celebrity status for easy publicity," he added.

Zeishan Quadri as Definite in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur 2' with Nawazuddin Siddiqui

The writer was accused by producer Shalini Chaudhary of allegedly mortgaging her Audi A6, worth '38 lakh, for '12 lakh without her consent, leading to an FIR. He, in return, claimed to have been threatened and assaulted by Chaudhary. In 2022, Quadri was booked at Hindpiri Police Station, Ranchi, for allegedly failing to pay '29 lakh in dues to a hotel.

Unperturbed by the probability of being discussed on national television and the possible re-emergence of the controversies, Quadri said, "I have never believed in hiding any part of myself. I am an open book and if people want to talk about the controversies, I take it in my stride. At the end of the day, it is better to be spoken about in any manner than to be forgotten."

While the show often airs dirty laundry in public, it also reveals each contestant's personality, albeit after a minimum of ten days. Some come prepared with strategies and others with a rehearsed persona. Despite claims that the show is scripted, no one has ever proved it. He explained, "The only thing I can bring with me is my true self. I don't know what it means to wear a mask or use a filter. I believe people will see how I deal with situations once the show begins. Till then I'm not overthinking, I'll just let things unfold naturally. As for the other housemates, some may be difficult to handle because life inside the Bigg Boss house is only a microcosm of the life we live outside, but that is part of the game. My strategy is actually to not have a strategy. Life itself has been unpredictable for me and I have learnt to take life as it comes."

According to Quadri, he may not have a fixed game plan, but that doesn't mean he hasn't done his homework. "I have watched some seasons. I fairly understand the nature of the show. They have been approaching me since 2022, and this year I finally succumbed to the temptation. Some of these friends have inspired me and I look forward to it."

Did you know?

Zeishan Quadri, who wrote the screenplay and dialogues of ‘Gangs of Wasseypur' (2012), played the role Definite in the second part. He was also seen in ‘Revolver Rani' (2014), ‘Hotel Milan' (2018), ‘Your Honor 2' (2021), ‘Bloody Daddy (2023), and ‘Woh Bhi Din The' (2024).

Other contestants on the show

Kunickaa Sadanand, Abhishek Bajaj, Amaal Mallik and Gaurav Khanna

Gaurav Khanna, Amaal Mallik, Awez Darbar, Ashnoor Kaur, Mridul Tiwari, Nagma Mirajkar, Kunickaa Sadanand, Baseer Ali, Abhishek Bajaj, Tanya Mittal, Nehal Chudasama, Natalia Janoszek, Pranit More, Farhana Bhatt, and Neelam Giri.