Images: Charlie Sperring and Peter Russell
by Jan-Hendrik Botha
Yes, in this week’s episode of Survivor SA, it seems Kiran was surrounded by hyenas at Tribal Council and was sent packing. It was an emotional moment when Tyson decided to sit next to him while Nico was reading the votes.
We got to know Kiran as “a man of knowledge, not a man of hope,” and not only a huge Survivor SA fan but also a fan of The Lion King. During an exclusive interview, he revealed that he compares his gameplay to the character of Simba.
For this young Durbanite, the circle of life especially, as explained to Simba by his father Mufasa, was very applicable this week. “At some point in Survivor, I was the lion eating the antelope. But at Tribal Council this week it felt like I was right at the bottom of the food chain – the grass that the antelope ate. But what an incredible journey. I’m glad I got to be the lion for as long as I was.”
According to Kiran, Simba is the true hero of the story. “I wish I was the Simba to this tale, but unfortunately I wasn’t – I’m glad I’m not the Scar though.”
He also says he loves analogies, and that the movie perfectly depicts how the game of Survivor could work. In the game of Survivor, Kiran believes that one needs to take time building one’s resume. Therefore, he finds the analogy of The Lion King very fitting. “When you think of Simba’s journey, the first half is pretty bleak. It seems he isn’t going to amount to anything: His father was killed in front of him, he thinks he is the reason and he runs away. A lion who becomes a vegan – very odd.”
Kiran continues, saying Simba wouldn’t seem like a threat in the game of Survivor, and therefore at first wouldn’t have any votes against him. “But that’s the whole point of Survivor: you can turn it around!”
That, according to Kiran, is exactly what Simba did. “In the second half, Simba finds out who he is as a person. He returns to Pride Rock, saves his family and wins his rightful place on the throne.
“My journey ends where I manage to get rid of Scar, but just before I take the throne, the rest of the pride tells me I haven’t been here long enough, that I don’t have any residency at Pride Rock and that I need to go – ready, able and willing to take the throne, but at the last minute told it’s just not my time yet.”
At Tribal Council, Kiran says he was “flattered” to have a target on his back. After being voted out, he reveals that he feels proud to have been seen as a threat in the greatest game on earth. “To have other people tell me I am a massive threat, knowing that if I sat in the final, they wouldn't have had a chance to win: the validation of knowing that the game I’ve played is threatening to someone else is almost worth a million bucks.”
Kiran feels privileged to have been part of Survivor SA. “To be able to take part in a game that I’ve loved for nearly 19 years, and have people be that afraid of me, makes being chowed by hyenas worth it, because I am recognised for the threat that I really am.”
Find out what happens when Kiran joins the rest of the jury at Ponderosa below:
Who will Kiran be voting for at the final Tribal Council? Tune in every Thursday at 19:30 on M-Net, channel 101 to find out. Join the conversation on the Survivor Facebook Page or on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #SurvivorSA.