'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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Mercury plunges in Kashmir after brief respite, Shopian freezes at minus 6.4 deg C
Srinagar (PTI): Night temperatures in Kashmir dropped several degrees below the freezing point, even as a thick layer of fog engulfed parts of the valley, with Srinagar recording a low of minus 4.1 degrees Celsius, officials said on Saturday.
Shopian was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, they said.
The mercury had on Thursday night settled above the freezing point at most places in the valley, providing huge relief to the residents from the biting cold conditions.
However, temperatures dropped across Kashmir on Friday night, bringing back the freezing cold, the officials said.
On the Friday night, the minimum temperature in Srinagar -- the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir -- settled at minus 4.1 degrees Celsius, a sharp drop from 0.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, the officials said.
The gateway town to the valley, Qazigund, recorded a low of minus 4.2 degrees Celsius, while the mercury settled at minus 3.5 degrees Celsius in north Kashmir's Kupwara, and minus 0.2 degrees Celsius in south Kashmir's Kokernag, the officials said.
Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius, while Gulmarg lodged minus 2.6 degrees Celsius and Konibal town in Pulwama district recorded minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, they said.
The meteorological department said the weather would remain generally cloudy but dry on December 6-7, and a brief spell of light snowfall at isolated places in the higher reaches of north and central Kashmir is likely on December 8.
