Bigg Boss Kannada Season 8 Launch Live: Sudeep welcomes the contestants. (Photo: Colors Kannada/Instagram)Bigg Boss Kannada season 8 launch begins. The opening night will be marked by a grand event comprising of various dance and song performances. Kannada movie star Kichcha Sudeep returns as the show’s host for the eight seasons and introduce the contestants.
The director of the show, Parameshwar Gundkal revealed that they have shortlisted as many as 17 contestants to enter the house on the opening night. At least that’s the plan. Given that the show is happening under the shadow of COVID-19 pandemic, the showrunners are prepared for surprises. All selected contestants have been quarantined for the last two weeks and subjected to multiple RT-PCR tests. The contestants will have to undergo coronavirus test for the third time, and only those who test negative will enter the show. So the number of contestants who actually make it inside the show on the opening night may vary.
Following the footsteps of the Hindi version of the Bigg Boss, the showrunners will also allow the fans of the Bigg Boss Kannada to stream on Voot Select for 24 hours. The live feed will be available from Monday to Friday.
The showrunners also have plans to have a digital replica of the house to provide an interactive experience for the audience. The audience will be able to access every nook and corner of the space virtually.
Sudeep makes fun of Shamanth 'Brogowda's hairstyle. He is the eighth contestant of the season. He is popular for his funny videos on Instagram. Shamanth has also written, directed and acted in the web series, Virgin Boys. Not just Sudeep, even the housemates crack a few jokes at the expense of Shamanth's hairdo but he takes it in good humour.
Bigg Boss Kannada season 5 winner Chandan Shetty performs his hit song Karabuu from Pogaru.
Women contestants who have entered the house so far are bonding over their mutual dislike for the red colour palette of their room.
Nidhi Subbaiah enters the show as the seventh contestant. She has done several Kannada films, including Pancharangi and Krishnan Marriage Story. She also played a role in the Bollywood film OMG! Oh My God. Sudeep tests her ability to handle a stressful situation by picking a mock feud with her. If her performance here is anything to go by, she has to work a lot on her conflict resolution skills.
The sixth contestant KP Aravind entered the show on his bike. He is an Indian off-road motorcycle racer. He has participated and made a mark in international racing competitions. He says that he has done several television commercials as a stunt double for big celebrities. He also had a cameo in Dulquer Salmaan's Bangalore Days. Sudeep hands him a bouquet and asks him to give it to a girl whom he likes inside the house.
Vaishnavi Gowda is the fifth contestant to enter the show. She became famous for her role in the popular television serial Agnisakshi. She vowed not to lose the smile on her face come what may during the next 100 days.
Singer Vishwanath Haveri is the fourth contestant to enter the show. He is a native of Dharwad and aspires to make it big as a playback singer. He is just 19 and the youngest male contestant in the history of Bigg Boss Kannada.
Shankar Ashwath is the third contestant to enter the show. Son of legendary actor late K.S. Ashwath, he is also an actor by profession. However, he did not make it as big as his father and as he did not get enough acting opportunities, he became a cab driver. He says that he worked on a movie script based on cab services and learned about Uber. When the project did not take off, he decided to become a cab driver himself. He recalls that Sudeep has called him and offered to foot the medical expense when his father was taken ill.
"I am bold and outspoken. I also know how to be diplomatic. It is not in my nature to hurt anyone," Shubha Poonja. She says that she retires to bed as early as 7:30 pm everyday so it may be a bit difficult for her to get used to the schedule on the show.
Actor Shubha Poonja is the second contestant to enter the eighth season of the show. Sudeep points out that the showrunners approached her for the last seven seasons and she finally accepted the offer for the eighth season. She explains that it was her fiance who convinced her to take up the opportunity as he feels that she makes 'boring' choices on the work front.
After a dance performance by previous Bigg Boss contestant Niveditha Gowda, we're introduced to Dhanushree, the first contestant to enter the show. She was a TikTok sensation who now produces content on Instagram.
Sudeep says that three new surprises are awaiting the contestants and the audience today. He is asked by the Bigg Boss to enter the house and is given a basket full of what looks like green tennis balls. He is told to hide them around the house.
The show's host Sudeep begins the show by acknowledging the world had turned into a Bigg Boss show during the lockdown. He keeps the focus on positive things that people may have experienced during the COVID-induced lockdown. "Many wives found out their husband's culinary skills and husbands discovered their wives could sing like Lata Mangeshkar during the lockdown," he said. Clearly, he is a glass half-full person.
So it begins. The eighth season of Bigg Boss Kannada begins with a dance performance. A group of dancers use wearable technology to light up the stage.
Ahead of Bigg Boss Kannada Season 8, host Sudeep revealed that even he gets to know of the contestants on the day the show begins. He said hosting Bigg Boss Kannada was a very stressful job. "Like all of you, I am also curious about the contestants. See, they (showrunners) will bring in the contestants of their choices and put them on the show, but I am the one who has to deal with them after that. You know what I am talking about. Even film shoots don’t stress me out this much. So I am always curious about what kind of contestants they bring in," he said.
Manju Pavagada, the Majaa Bharatha fame comedian, is reportedly on the confirmed list of contestants of Bigg Boss Kannada 8. He is also addressed as 'Lag Manju'.
Bigg Boss Kannada 8 director Parameshwar Gundkal said Kannada audiences are not a fan of controversies. "Bigg Boss Kannada is an emotional show and study of human behaviour. I don’t want controversies. The Karnataka market responds differently. Controversies are never highly rated. Fun, excitement, happiness, tears get a better rating than fights and exchange of abuses," he remarked.
Nidhi Subbaiah, who has appeared in a few successful Kannada movies like Pancharangi and Krishnan Marriage Story, might be a part of Bigg Boss Kannada's season 8.
Here's a glimpse of the grand launch of Sudeep-hosted Bigg Boss Kannada 8.
Bigg Boss Kannada 8 director Parameshwar Gundkal also reflected on the various hosts of Bigg Boss across India. "Kamal Haasan, Sudeep, Salman Khan, Mohanlal, Nagarjuna – they are such iconic personalities, who are mature enough to handle anything. Be it anger, surprise, pleasant or unpleasant, technical glitches, they will be very cool in all situations," he said.