Aakash Mehta is all set to make his Netflix debut tomorrow. But it’s not the usual standup special announcement. The comedian is going to be part of a reality show titled Social Currency where eight influencers go head-to-head in a series of challenges across 21 days. Shot in Goa, the winner of the show is titled ‘Top Influencer’ and will pick up a cash prize of Rs 50 lakh. Other contestants on the show are Parth Samthaan, Bhavin Bhanushali, Ruhi Singh, Vagmita Singh, Rowhi Rai, Mridul Madhok and Sakshi Chopra.

This was Mehta’s first time on a reality show and he said it was an extremely educational process. “It’s weird, man, when you go on a reality show without watching any reality show ever,” he told DeadAnt. “Like, I went in thinking that I am not going to understand this at all and came out realising I do understand it but choose to be away from it. Sach mein survival challenge ho gaya yeh. It was very insightful.”

It wasn’t all smooth sailing though. As a comedian, Mehta was always looking for the laughs. “But when you are a comedian stuck with seven people for 21 days and nobody gets your jokes—man!” he exclaimed. “I really started to doubt myself. Like main poora kho gaya. Even on an economic level, ki I’m never making more money than these influencers,” he said.

This was also the longest break the comedian took from the stage and it started to take its toll on him. “Stand up is how I make sense of the world and not being able to do it just started depressing me,” he said. “Par Netflix ko kaun mana karta hai, yaar? Maybe this will encourage them into giving me a special,” he added.

Mehta is looking forward to the audience’s reactions. He revealed that a lot of people have called him a sell-out for taking up this gig. “These are not even people who have commented or bought tickets before,” he said. “Naye log aake ‘sell-out’ bol rahe hain. See, you either do a reality show at the beginning of your career or towards the end. Maine aise hi karliya, yaar. And I would rather be a sell-out than a nobody at this point of my career. Toh sab g**nd marao. I have a wife and EMIs. Happy to be a sell-out,” he told us.