Actor-politician Kamal Haasan announced on Sunday that he is opting out as host of the reality show Bigg Boss Ultimate (Tamil) in order to focus on completing his upcoming film, Vikram.
Haasan, who has been the host for all the seasons of Bigg Boss Tamil, including the recently-concluded fifth season, made his debut in the OTT space by anchoring the show’s digital version, Bigg Boss Ultimate Tamil, that streams 24×7 on Disney+ Hotstar.
Meanwhile, the actor-politician is also producing and starring in the upcoming Tamil film, Vikram, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and co-starring Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil.
In his statement on Sunday, Haasan said that the Covid-19 pandemic, and the resulting restrictions “rightly imposed” by the government, had forced the team of Vikram to reschedule its production and post-production. This resulted in clashes with the dates required for the reality show and made him have to choose between the two, he revealed.
“We had so far meticulously planned to ensure that the production schedule of Vikram does not affect my commitments to Bigg Boss, a show that is so very close to my heart. So much so, I did not let any personal discomfort I might have had after I was personally down with Covid. I was back on stage meeting all you and hosting this wonderful show, the moment I tested negative,” the actor wrote, adding that it was an honour to launch the OTT version of Bigg Boss as an “avid supporter of innovation and technology in the field of entertainment.”
However, Haasan said that the reshuffling of Vikram’s production had resulted in an unavoidable overlap in his schedule. With some more days of shoot remaining for the film, including combination scenes with prominent stars and technicians, he would not be able to manage both Vikram and Bigg Boss together, the actor added.
Recommended
“It would be unfair to make such eminent stars and technicians wait for me, considering their schedule and other commitments that they might already have. Consequently, I am now constrained to opt out of this season of Bigg Boss Ultimate for the remaining episodes after February 20,” Haasan said.
He added that he had a free and fair discussion with the management of Vijay TV (the channel producing the show) and they were supportive and cooperative.
Haasan also confirmed that he will be back as the host for Bigg Boss Season 6.
There is no word yet on who will replace him as the host of Bigg Boss Ultimate. However, it may be noted that when Haasan took a brief break from the show after testing positive for Covid-19 in November, actor Ramya Krishnan stepped in for a few episodes of Bigg Boss Season 5.