'Bigg Boss' back with new season, contestants and safety precautions amid COVID-19
Mumbai: "Bigg Boss", one of Indian television's most popular reality shows, had a grand premiere on Saturday night with its new season, minus the live audience, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Armed with a hammer, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, who hosts the show, opened the 14th season, signifying that "Bigg Boss" is set to give a befitting response to 2020, which has been a difficult year so far.
In a reference to COVID-19, Khan said, "This is that year where the most negative word is positive."
"This lockdown has made people learn many household chores be it washing the utensils, mopping the floor and most importantly it has taught us to appreciate the past," he further said during the launch of the show.
Keeping in mind the pandemic and safety precautions, the 54-year-old actor said this time there will be no live audience on the sets, adding the show feels empty without their presence.
The makers showed a clip wherein the "Bigg Boss" set, put up in suburban Mumbai's Filmcity, is seen undergoing sanitisation, along with the crew members taking all necessary precautions to create a safe environment for the housemates.
With the theme - 'Ab Scene Paltega, Kyunki Bigg Boss Dega 2020 Ko Jawab (Things will change as Bigg Boss will confront 2020') - the Bigg Boss house is equipped with a shopping mall, theatre, spa and dining area.
Khan introduced this season's contestants who entertained the viewers with their performances before entering the house. They are TV couple Rubina Dilaik and Abhinav Shukla, actors Eijaz Khan, Jasmin Bhasin, Nishant Singh Malkhani, Pavitra Punia, singers Rahul Vaidya, Jaan Kumar, son of veteran singer Kumar Sanu, Shehzad Deol, a model, singer-model Sara Gurpal and south actor Nikki Tamboli.
According to a source close to the production, the contestants completed their quarantine period before entering the house.
Former "Bigg Boss" contestants Sidharth Shukla, Hina Khan and Gauahar Khan entered the show as 'Toofani Seniors', who will take over the reins of the house and will be instrumental in making important decisions for the first 15 days.
Khan closed the premiere event in his signature "Bigg Boss" style saying, "Do whatever you guys want to do, just don't give corona to your parents."
The show airs on Colors Channel.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
