After 100 Failed Auditions, Manish Goel Enters Bigg Boss 20

Manish Goel has stepped into Bigg Boss 20 as a wildcard entry on Weekend Ka Vaar—and he arrives with a genuinely unusual approach for a contestant: he has not watched a single episode of this season.

Entering late, on his own terms

In an exclusive conversation with Mid-day, the Anupamaa actor said he was not part of the original Bigg Boss 20 line-up. The show reached out separately for the wildcard slot, and after 20-25 years on television, he wanted to take it.

Goel, known for roles from Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii to Anupamaa, said he has been extremely private. Viewers know his characters, but not the real person. “This is the time when people will actually get to know me,” he told Mid-day.

Zero episodes, one clean slate

Unlike wildcards who track every fight and friendship before entering, Goel said he has only seen clips on Instagram.

“For the first time, I haven’t watched a single episode of Bigg Boss. I’m going in with a clean slate.”

That matters in a house where reputations often arrive before people do. Goel will have to read relationships from day one, without the running commentary that shapes most viewers’ opinions.

He also promised fans a dignified run. “Whenever I leave the house, it’s going to be with a lot of sanity and dignity,” he said, adding that he values relationships and that an inspiring side of his journey is still untapped.

100 auditions and a secret struggle

The entry is also a comeback story. Between 2011 and 2015, Goel gave nearly 100 auditions and cracked none of them. He never spoke about it, and the low phase gives his wildcard moment extra weight for an actor who once started as a spotboy after running away from Delhi at 17.

His song Dil Lagi Kudi Gujarat Di still connects with listeners, but recognition does not always follow. Goel pointed out that people often know the track long before they recognise him.

What to expect in the house

• Late entry through Weekend Ka Vaar, not the original cast
• A no-episode-watched policy that could make him unpredictable
• A focus on relationships and dignity over fights
• A reunion with Salman Khan after 15 years, tied to a Guinness World Record

A Salman reunion with a world record attached

Goel is meeting host Salman Khan after 15 years. The two share an unusual piece of history: Goel said he had set and won a Guinness World Record with Salman, though the chat did not reveal further details.

For Bigg Boss viewers, that reunion could add warmth to his first Weekend Ka Vaar. But the bigger test will be whether a wildcard with no prior season baggage can make the house equation his own.

Source: Mid-day