In his new avatar as the host of Temptation Island India, television heartthrob Karan Kundrra feels one needs to know oneself first before loving another person. In a conversation with The Telegraph Online, Karan opens up about his passion for hosting reality shows, his equation with girlfriend Tejasswi Prakash and striking a work-life balance as he gears up for the reality dating show that is all set to stream on JioCinema from November 3.

How excited are you to host Temptation Island India?

Karan Kundrra: It’s special because we have been working on its concept for two years. It’s an international format, so it’s a big deal for me. It’s exciting because of the look and the feel. It’s worth the two years of wait. It was a blast to shoot the launch episode.

You have hosted a slew of reality shows and a couple of them have been relationship-based. Can you decode the concept of Temptation Island India?

Karan Kundrra: This is more of a social experiment. The format tests the contestants. There’s so much that happens in real life. Tests always make us learn about ourselves, about our relationships and our priorities. What happens is sometimes we feel this is how things are and we don’t test the situation. So, contestants take the test in the show.

Do you think love needs to be tested?

Karan Kundrra: See, it’s not important to test love. Love is universal and beautiful. It comes in many forms. It’s important to test ourselves first. You need to know yourself first before loving someone else. You need to know whether your feeling is genuine or if it is something you feel you should do. First, one must figure out oneself, then figure out the relationship, and then figure out its strengths. That’s how one can shine and form strong relationships, and not derive it from what one thinks.

You tend to get involved deeply while hosting reality shows. Will it be the same?

Karan Kundrra: Oh, hundred per cent! When I come on a show, I get very passionate. I left a few big projects for Temptation Island India. I take the contestants as my responsibility. Having been a contestant on a captive reality show (Bigg Boss Season 15), I know what goes through a contestant’s mind. Until the time we do it ourselves, we don’t know why a contestant reacts in a particular manner. It’s a 24-hour emotional struggle. I take it very personally. Their win becomes my win. The contestants become like family.

We often come across reports that celebrities fake relationships on reality shows to stay relevant and become popular.

Karan Kundrra: It depends. In captive reality format shows, one can’t pretend because one has to live without mobile phones and friends, so the place (set) becomes the universe. And when people fake it, it doesn’t last. Some people have met on shows, got married and are very much together. In shows, some contestants try to incite controversies, some try to become couples, and some try to gain sympathy but the people who are watching the show decide everything, and they like it only if the contestants keep it real. Cameras capture body language and expression, so one can’t lie much.

Bigg Boss Season 17 is on, and there are couples as well as single people as contestants. Temptation Island India will air around the same time. What about the comparison?

Karan Kundrra: The formats are different. Bigg Boss is Bigg Boss but Temptation Island is going to be a surprise.

You have been around for over a decade. After all these years, what do you aspire to?

Karan Kundrra: I aspire to be happy at the end of the day. We know the stress level we live with and the environment we live in. We, the actors, don’t have a permanent job and there are mental health issues. I am happy that I am going to leave behind a legacy. I can’t be stressed about what I am doing and where I am headed. Being an ambitious, hardworking and dedicated person is important but personal life is equally important. One should laugh and travel and that’s 360-degree growth. If after 10 years, I can say that I have lived a good life, earned love, done some good work and made a home, I will be happy. If one is talented and has the urge for good work, one can’t be stopped for long.

Your partner Tejasswi Prakash and you are constantly under the social media scanner. How do you strike a balance?

Karan Kundrra: We are as normal as any couple. She is a celebrity, and I am an actor. We go to work and come back home. We both have similar views about these things in life. Certain people get into all these things (social media) a lot. We don’t have time because we either have a movie to catch up to, or we have somewhere to go to eat. It’s a relationship, so you must decide where you are seeking relevance from. If you are getting it from social media, then it’s different but if you have good projects in hand, then these things don’t matter. People who don’t have a career get into all these things. And today who doesn’t get trolled? Look at the big cricketers and actors. Suddenly people are calling someone a toxic husband and someone else something else! There’s so much hate but there’s so much love as well.

What notes have you exchanged with Mouni Roy, your co-host?

Karan Kundrra: It’s fantastic to have her as the co-host. She is also beautiful in her work. She has a beautiful heart, so it’s great.