Esha Bhaskar and Vishal Bhonsle. Picture by Aranya Sen

Esha the Goddess

What does Dadagiri mean?

Bigtime bullying.

Who is Esha the Goddess?

A daughter of a rich family and a spoilt brat who is used to ordering people around. She abuses a lot and thinks she can get anyone to do anything for her.

Is Esha the Goddess a mirror image of Esha Bhaskar?

If there is someone out there who is as mad as the character, she should be put in an asylum. She is screaming and shouting all the time, totally unreal.

Was it tough for Esha Bhaskar to become Esha the Goddess?

Very. On the first day someone handed me a page of abuses and said ‘learn them’. Then I was told to act like a princess and make fun of the crew. Initially I had to psyche myself and would sit in silence in a corner between shots so that I don’t lapse into my normal jovial self. By the fifth episode I had got the hang of it.

How did friends and family react?

Friends called to ask ‘Hey, why are you so pissed off?’ My family was shocked. They saw the show twice with me. Then they stopped as they can’t take me being like that!

What is the worst thing you have made participants do?

There was a dense heap of garbage and one was asked to drag out a lever from inside it with one’s teeth. They really had to shove their heads inside the heap. A boy lost his lens in it but he won the round.

If you were not the anchor, would you want to participate in Dadagiri?

No. I don’t think I’d want to go through the stuff we make them do.

VISHAL the BEAST

What does Dadagiri mean?

Come, get screwed.

Who is Vishal the Beast?

Someone who is really crass, doesn’t fear anyone. He believes he can take up any challenge. He thinks that having a great body is very important. He’d rather be in the gym than waste time chatting in a cafe.

Is Vishal the Beast a mirror image of Vishal Bhonsle?

I was a bully in school and college and I am a bit hot-tempered. If someone calls me sweet, I’d feel really bad. But I don’t abuse people so much. As for the physical part, I didn’t get this body for the sake of the show. I was into bodybuilding…won Mr Best Physique 2001 in the Gladrags Manhunt and then I was Vijay Mallya’s trainer.

How did friends and family react?

Everyone tells me ‘Don’t abuse so much’. But if the participants take my criticism positively it will spur them on to refine their skills and make them confident. If you don’t psyche them up they won’t do well.

What is the worst thing you have made participants do?

In one episode, they were asked to push up a weight with their head lying on a reclining bench 20ft long with an iron ball tied to their legs. One guy who came the closest to achieving the feat had his hands all bruised and he was grunting with every move. Even we clapped at the effort.

Do you at any point feel bad for the way you treat people?

There was a girl called Sumedha whom I had majorly insulted. But when she was eliminated she gave me a letter thanking me. The letter was so sweet; it was totally unexpected.

You are working in Vishal Bharadwaj’s next film Kameenay. How would you react if any of the participants called you that?

Ha-ha! They keep saying ‘Vishal kameena hai’. The more they abuse me the more I like it. It means they’ll put in more effort to prove me wrong.

If you were not the anchor, would you want to participate in Dadagiri?

No. Absolutely not.