Deepak Dhar on Bigg Boss Punjabi and Bhojpuri (Photos: Banijay Asia team, JioHotstar Reality / Instagram)On Sunday, India’s biggest captive reality show, Bigg Boss, releases all versions simultaneously. In addition to Bigg Boss Hindi, Bigg Boss Tamil, Bigg Boss Telugu, Bigg Boss Kannada, and Bigg Boss Malayalam will also go live on September 6. The founder and Group CEO of Banijay Asia, Deepak Dhar, talks to SCREEN about what goes into bringing Bigg Boss to the world and how they have Bigg Boss Punjabi and Bigg Boss Bhojpuri coming up in 2027. He also spoke about the success of Alliance, Salman Khan’s appearance, and the show’s comparisons with Lock Upp.Deepak Dhar on Bigg BossTalking about bringing all seasons of Bigg Boss together this year, Deepak Dhar said, “This time, it will be Bigg Boss wali Diwali. Bigg Boss has now become like a tentpole franchise. And this is the 20th year. We wanted to do something memorable to celebrate it. So, we said, let’s do this as an exercise across all markets. Six versions are going live simultaneously. And we’re very excited for it. You know, the entire festival period is going to be captured by Big Boss in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bangla, and Hindi. You’ll see how we are amplifying the experience around what the audiences are going to watch. We have Salman Khan, Kiccha Sudeep, Nagarjuna, Vijay Sethupathi, Mohanlal, and Sourav Ganguly. So we are only elevating the franchise.”Also Read: Bigg Boss: Vijay Sethupathi, Nagarjuna, Sudeep and Mohanlal unite ahead of Sep 6 premiere View this post on Instagram A post shared by Endemol Shine India (@endemolshineind) While Bigg Boss Marathi Season 3 concluded in April this year, its new season will air next year. Sharing details about it, Deepak said, “Currently, the show has just gotten over with Ritiesh Deshmukh. So when we come to the next season, we will think.” He further explained how the process for Bigg Boss worked and said, “It’s a two-pronged process. Our creative producers and creative development teams have been working non-stop on casting. What is the theme? What should be the house? A lot of all that happens round the clock. We are also blessed with the learnings of Big Brother that runs in 40 markets internationally. So we pick and choose things, thoughts, elements, narratives that are worked in different markets and obviously adapted for India.”On the success of Alliance and Salman Khan’s visit on the showWhile Banijay Asia also produces other captive reality shows like The 50 and Rise and Fall, its latest show Alliance found success. Talking about the show, Deepak Dhar said, “Prime Video wanted to build something which is new and unique in the reality unscripted space. We were clear that we did not want to build something toxic, instead we wanted a fun, entertaining, and engaging property. We focussed on what kind of tasks would bring the contestants’ mental and physical abilities to the forefront. Which is why we built a huge arena where these tasks were set up and scaled. We filmed it with almost 50 cameras.”The show also had Sohail Khan as a contestant, and Salman Khan’s appearance on the show became a talking point. Talking about Salman’s visit, Deepak said, “The story of two brothers is very emotional, right? And, you know, it is all credit to Salman Khan; he wanted to do it. He wanted to support his brother and stand with him. We were also caught unaware that he actually came; it was pretty much unannounced.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by prime video IN (@primevideoin) Also Read | Bigg Boss 20 contestants list: Badshah’s ex-wife Isha Rikhi, Aman Gandhi to join Salman Khan’s showDeepak also spoke about the comparisons between Alliance and Ekta Kapoor’s Lock Upp Sach Ya Sazaa. He said, “I don’t see the need to entertain audiences with more and more toxicity. I don’t believe that is always the right way forward. It might work once; it never works for a sustained duration of time. I can only speak for Alliance. We wanted to make a very different and new vocabulary of reality. Even if we were talking about relationships, we were talking about how Sohail and Seema are friends, showcasing the positive side of things. We really didn’t want to focus on anything negative in the house or in the headquarters. And even the friendships, emotions, and the drama that was unfolding were extremely warm and personal.”Bigg Boss Punjabi and Bhojpuri to launch next yearDeepak also spoke about their upcoming slate and said that they further plan to expand the Bigg Boss universe. “We have just we’ve been very busy on the reality side. We’ve been very busy on the scripted side. We had Raakh that released a little over a month ago and was a massive success. Campus Beats is out now. There will be an Indian adaptation, or the Hindi adaptation of House MD, that will come out very soon. Next year, we will have Bhojpuri and Punjabi franchises for Bigg Boss up and running,” Deepak said.Nawaz Javed Kochra is a seasoned entertainment journalist at The Indian Express Online, bringing nearly a decade of expertise to the forefront of cultural reporting. With a focus on the television and Over-The-Top (OTT) landscapes, he has established himself as a prominent voice in the industry, known for his high-profile celebrity interviews and insightful coverage of the Indian entertainment sector. Experience & Career Nawaz holds a Master of Arts in Communication and Journalism from Mumbai University, providing him with a rigorous academic and ethical foundation. In his 11-year career, he has navigated through several of India's leading media houses, building a portfolio that spans digital, print, and broadcast media: The Indian Express: Currently leads coverage of TV and OTT content, producing both written analysis and popular video interview segments. Former Roles: He began his career at the iconic Stardust Magazine and later held key positions at Zoom TV, Zee Multimedia, MissMalini, Bollywood Bubble, and Raindrop Media. Expertise & Focus Areas Nawaz’s beat is characterized by a blend of exclusive access and trend analysis. His core areas of expertise include: Reality Television: Specialized coverage of major franchises like Bigg Boss, providing behind-the-scenes insights and winner profiles. OTT Ecosystem: Tracking the shift from traditional cable to digital streaming platforms, with a focus on web series and digital premieres. Celebrity Profiles & Interviews: Nawaz is celebrated for his ability to foster candid conversations with industry stalwarts, from music composers like Amaal Mallik to other TV legends. Investigative Entertainment News: Reporting on sensitive industry developments, including legal disputes and personal stories of resilience within the acting community. Authoritativeness & Trust With a reputation built on years of networking and credible reporting, Nawaz Kochra is a "known face" in the Mumbai media circuit. His work at The Indian Express adheres to the publication's "Journalism of Courage" standard, ensuring that even entertainment reporting is approached with accuracy, sensitivity, and transparency. His educational background and extensive tenure across diverse media platforms provide him with the authoritative perspective required to analyze the rapid evolution of Indian show business. ... Read MoreClick here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.