MUMBAI: First, Bollywood?s badshahs broke into television, hosting non-fiction shows. Amongst the first to do so was Amitabh Bachchan with KBC in 2000. Shah Rukh Khan. Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Abhishekh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Juhi Chawla, Priety Zinta followed.

Now Bollywood?s biggest are gearing up to break the fiction bastion. Earlier this year, Colors revealed that Anil Kapoor would be starring in the fictionalised series 24 which would be helmed by Abhinay Deo. Now Sony has announced that the Big B is also taking a leap into the fiction genre and will be acting in a limited episode series to be directed by Bollywood?s lovable enfant terrible cult director Anurag Kashyap. Endemol and the Bachchan owned Saraswati Creation are coming together to co-produce the show.

With a bound script in place, filming is slated to start within a week. Bachchan says "the fiction series would be an altogether new experience for the Indian audiences. It will serve as a sumptuous Indian thali having a flavour of everything including humour, satire, emotion and drama while keeping the underlying social aspect of the country in mind."

Endemol MD & CEO Deepak Dhar says that industry and viewers should "expect anything less than a larger than life production values with the series being shot like a film with both outdoor locations and lavish sets."

One wonders how Star and Zee will go one up on Sony and Colors? Can we expect an announcement on their star line up for another fiction show?

MUMBAI: ETV Bangla is all geared up to entertain their viewers with one of India?s biggest reality TV show Bigg Boss. The show that took the nation by storm will now set foot in West Bengal, revolutionising entertainment with its perfect blend of reality and unscripted drama. While Bigg Boss will now speak in Bengali, actor Mithun Chakraborthy will be seen hosting the show, but in an all new avatar.

Produced by Endemol India, Bigg Boss is slated to go on air on ETV Bangla in the month of June.

Talking about his new role, Mithun Da (as he is fondly called) said, "Bigg Boss is a very intriguing format. To be a celebrity and to be under surveillance 24x7 on national camera is no easy task and it?s my honor to be the link between the Bigg Boss house and the outside world for my fellow friends of the industry. I look forward to starting the shoot for the show soon."
 
Endemol India CEO Deepak Dhar said, "Bigg Boss is based on a universal concept that has successfully appealed to audiences across markets. Adapting a cult show like Bigg Boss in a regional market helps us reach out to captive audiences who are eager to consume the programme in their preferred language. As the format of the show is non-scripted, one can expect nothing but the purest form of reality arising from unpredictable situations leading to a great viewing experience. We are certain that the Bangla version will be received with a lot of enthusiasm."