Figuring what’s it about a TV reality show, which mimics social life, that it accounts for 800 days of desi TV-OTT programming, every year?

Gaurav Khanna (right, in pic) who was crowned winner of Bigg Boss 19 with host Salman Khan

Could you be deeply interested in content that you never consume yourself?

Yes, if an estimated 500 million Indians do, in six languages — Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam — given a round-the-clock programming of around 800 days, every year! 

That’s Bigg Boss. Hence, my incessant level of interest in it. 

Back in 2005, Deepak Dhar, founding CEO, Bannijay Asia and Endemol Shine India — basically the exec big boss, behind all desi Bigg Bosses — tells me, when he bought the rights of the OG reality TV show, Big Brother, people thought he’d gone nuts.

“They asked, who will watch this in India? In the UK, US, Australia, it’s risque; and is it even content?”

When Dhar sealed the contract in Amsterdam, the IP owners were equally surprised that he’d paid a bomb for a brand-name that he wasn’t gonna use!

“And that too big with a double ‘g’ — don’t even know the spelling? But Bigg Boss just sounded so colloquially correct,” Dhar smiles. 

Big Brother, of course, comes from the........

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