Bigg Boss Tamil vs Telugu: The Good (heh), Bad and Ugly

Both Bigg Boss Tamil and Telugu are set to release early June. Here’s what (not) to expect!

Season 2 of both Telugu and Tamil versions of Bigg Boss will begin early June. Here’s my take on what (not) to expect.

(Photo: Shruti Mathur/The Quint)

You can't choose between Jr NTR and Kamal Haasan. It's like trying to choose between a sambar idli from Madurai and an MLA Pesarattu from Vizag. The only option is both of them!

As hosts of Bigg Boss Telugu and Tamil, respectively, Jr NTR and Kamal Haasan brought their requisite star power to this global phenomenon of acceptable voyeurism. Here's how both these chutneys are same-to-same, yet different.

Season 2! Because Season 1 Was Gas.

Season 2 of both languages is set to kick off in June, and Jr NTR in Telugu will be replaced by 'natural star' Nani. Bigg Boss Tamil, though will see a handle-bar moustached Kamal Haasan reprise his role as the unscripted host-cum-living legend-cum-village panchayat head.

Season 1 of Bigg Boss Tamil brought a 10 percent hike in the viewership of Star Vijay, eating into it's chief competitor Sun TV’s share. It was a win-win for all concerned. But for me, personally, it was a WTF moment, to see a quite cerebral icon I grew up with host a show that is anything but diplomatic, eschews humility and thrives on confrontations between the contestants and the host.

Kamal has been trying, from Day 1 of Season 1, to make this show something bigger and more altruistic that it actually is. He called it a social experiment and said that was why he decided to come on to the show. I could go on ranting about how wrong he is, but wait, I’ve already done that.

Jr NTR, on the other hand, nailed it with his intro in Bigg Boss Telugu. He introduced the show for what it was, a slow burn, long format piece of TV entertainment. Come, watch, argue, enjoy!

The idea, in the Telugu series, was to bring together highly talented, and thereby, quite volatile individuals, and see what happens. Tamil Bigg Boss went for highly random, idiosyncratic characters, who started slow, but then built up into all sorts of crazy!

Confession Time: It was kind of mesmerising to watch Kamal plain-speak contestants into admitting to their 'mistakes', insecurities and fibs on air! He actually gave 'big brother' a new meaning.

NTR Jr, on the other hand, was refreshingly prepared and crisp all through. He never rambled, never lost track of time, never improvised. This was quite refreshing, after Salman Khan (host of Hindi Bigg Boss) and Kamal Haasan's long winding monologues. But then his interaction with the participants was limiting.

Oh, the participants!

Participants and Their Antics

No use doing a roll call of participants. It's like a lecturer asking an entire class of students to introduce themselves on the first day. Everyone knows he won't remember the names. It's only a way to kill time.

Anyway, here's who TN and Telugu-land will never forget.

First, Bigg Boss Tamil's Oviya.

For a brief flicker in time, she was bigger than even Kamal Haasan. Everytime the other teammates ganged up on her, or she felt even a slight slight, the Tamil audience would rally in support of their favourite, honest, innocent Oviya!

And the #OviyaArmy was born, which continues to trend even now. Tamilians were split into members of the Oviya Army, and those who quipped, “Border pe hamaare jawaan lad rahe hain! And all you care about is Oviya! What is this nonsense!” And other dialogues to this effect.

No, she did not win, but like every talent show and reality show, she was more memorable than the winner — Aarav, the guy she kept wooing. But, you know what, no one cares who wins or loses.

For Telugu Bigg Boss, with his constant quips contestant comedian Dhanraj brought the show to life.

What’s New in Season 2?

Hahahahaha! Oh, sorry, I didn't know that was a serious question.

Anyway, Kamal Haasan now he sports a moustache. Nani will host the Telegu show instead of NTR Jr. The contestants are all new... That's about it!

What is really interesting, and a little irritating, again is the Bigg Boss Tamil trailer.

It's shot brilliantly of course. But then it's yet another attempt at making the show all about perspective, and shows a guy dashing against a woman... only to save a little boy in danger. “Nallavar yaar? Kettavar yaar?” Asks Kamal, as a throwback to his famous dialogue from Nayagan.

Nani's intro in Season 2 of Telugu is again bang on, with just two dialogues from the man, “This time, there's going to be extra masala. Anything can happen!”

Now, that's what I call an apt teaser!

Who will you root for this time? And how many forwards will you get, of people questioning your morality for watching Bigg Boss, instead of doing good for the community, solving the Sterlite crisis and single-handedly changing the government? Leave your comments below!

Cameraperson: Smitha T K
Assistant Cameraperson: Vivek