The first edition of reality show Survivor India has already hit the small screen, and according to Delhi-based makeover artist and celebrity stylist Rishi Raj, who is one of the participants, doing a show like this was nothing less than a “professional hara-kiri.” The lean and mean stylist is the only gay participant among the 22 contestants, and he tells us more about his stint at the remote Virgin island of Philippines.
For Rishi, who was used to having breakfast in bed and getting a wardrobe ready by his assistant, the concept of struggling and surviving in the wild locale was “a life-changing experience.”
He says, “When I went there I had no idea that we would be fighting the poisonous fish, parasites and reptiles without any help. Forget about luxury, communication and other facilities, the most important thing for all the contestants was to hunt for food and clean drinking water each day. It was interesting as all the participants had stepped out of their comfort zones, and it was a non-stop test of stamina for all every minute.”
Rishi mentions that one of the main reasons for him to participate in this show was to prove that being gay is nothing unusual, and gay men are not “delicate darlings” as commonly portrayed by the media.
He says, “I wanted to break the stereotype image of gay men on TV. Most reality shows which were aired on TV earlier had a gay participant such as a cross-dresser or a drag queen. I got a chance to prove my physical and mental strength on this show and proved that being gay does not necessarily mean that one has to act like a woman.”
Though Rishi is not allowed to reveal the details of the show, he hints that since he was the only gay participant, the angle of him being attracted to other male contestants was played up in the show.
“During the shoot I was allegedly ‘linked’ with other male contestants. However, my heart was in Delhi and I was missing my boyfriend each day. When I came back my boyfriend welcomed me with cherry tomatoes and cheese tart, and he fed me so much! He couldn’t believe that I survived there with bare minimum necessities. He also told me that after coming back from the show I have changed and become a more tolerant person,” he adds.