Shiv Thakare shot to prominence with his spell in Bigg Boss 16 hosted by Salman Khan. Notably, he was one of the strongest contestants on the show and was likely to lift the winner trophy. Not many know that Shiv initially took part in MTV Roadies Season 14.
Notably, he entered the semi-finals but failed to win the show. However, he tried his luck in Bigg Boss Marathi 2 before eventually tasting success. Moreover, he was also seen on Bigg Boss 16 where he finished as the runner-up.
Notably, he is also an entrepreneur. He also owns a deodorant brand called B.Real and also recently kick-started his restaurant ‘Chai & Snack.’
Meanwhile, things weren’t that easy for the Bigg Boss 16 contestant during the early days of his career. He used to sell milk packets in order to support his family. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Shiv Thakare recalled his casting couch experience.
Bigg Boss 16 fame confesses he faced Casting Couch
“I once went for an audition in Aram Nagar and he took me to the bathroom and said, ‘Yaha pe massage centre hai’. I didn’t get the connection between an audition and a massage centre. He told me, ‘Ek baar aap aao yaha audition ke baad. Aap workout bhi karte ho…’ I just left the place, since he was a casting director and I didn’t want to take any pangas. I am no Salman Khan. But I realised there is no discrimination between men and women when it comes to this (casting couch)”
In another incident, Shiv Thakare recalled, “There was a ma’am in Four Bungalows. She would tell me ki, ‘Maine isko banaya hai, maine usko banaya hai’. She was calling me for an audition at 11 in the night. Itna bhola toh nahi hoon main ki I won’t understand what auditions happen at night. So, I told her that I have some work and I cannot make it. To this, she said, ‘Kaam Nahi karna?’ ‘You won’t get work in the industry’ and other such things. So they would demotivate you and manipulate you. But I would never get bothered by it.”