Bigg Boss Marathi is an Indian Marathi-language reality television series that forms part of the wider Bigg Boss franchise, itself adapted from the Dutch format Big Brother. The show features a group of contestants, generally drawn from the Marathi entertainment industry and public life, who live together in a custom-built house under continuous camera surveillance, isolated from the outside world. Contestants are gradually eliminated through a combination of housemate nominations and audience voting, until a winner is declared on the finale.
The series is produced by Endemol Shine India and broadcast on Colors Marathi, with digital streaming on JioCinema (earlier on Voot). It is hosted by actor and filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar, who has anchored the weekend episodes since the show's launch.
| Title | Bigg Boss Marathi |
|---|---|
| Genre | Reality television |
| Based on | Big Brother (Netherlands) |
| Language | Marathi |
| Original network | Colors Marathi |
| Digital streaming | JioCinema (formerly Voot) |
| Producer | Endemol Shine India |
| Host | Mahesh Manjrekar |
| First aired | 15 April 2018 |
| Country | India |
The Bigg Boss format was first launched in India in Hindi in 2006, and subsequent regional adaptations were introduced in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Malayalam. The Marathi version was developed to extend the franchise to Maharashtra's large television audience, which had seen rapid growth in regional reality programming during the 2010s. Colors Marathi, the Marathi-language general entertainment channel of Viacom18 (later JioCinema's parent group), commissioned the show as part of its weekend prime-time line-up.
The Marathi house, like other versions, is constructed on a sound stage near Mumbai, with all interactions recorded by remote-operated cameras. The house is designed to be both a living space and a controlled environment for tasks, conflicts and challenges set by the unseen voice of "Bigg Boss".
Each season runs for roughly three months. Contestants, referred to as housemates, are nominated weekly and one is evicted on the basis of audience voting through SMS, the broadcaster's app and digital platforms. Daily episodes feature unscripted interactions and structured tasks, while weekend episodes (Weekend Cha Daav) are anchored by the host, who reviews the week's events, confronts contestants and announces evictions.
| Season | Premiere | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 April 2018 | Megha Dhade |
| 2 | 26 May 2019 | Shiv Thakare |
| 3 | 19 September 2021 | Vishhal Nikam |
| 4 | 2 October 2022 | Akshay Kelkar |
| 5 | 30 July 2023 | Suraj Chavan |
Season 1 introduced the format to Marathi audiences and established Mahesh Manjrekar as the face of the show. Season 2 winner Shiv Thakare later gained wider national recognition through his appearance on Bigg Boss Hindi season 16. Subsequent seasons featured a mix of television actors, theatre artists, social media personalities and figures from Marathi cinema.
The show is produced by Endemol Shine India, the Indian arm of the global format owner of Big Brother. Episodes are filmed in a purpose-built house, typically located in Lonavala or in studio complexes around Mumbai, depending on the season. The broadcast pattern includes daily episodes from Monday to Friday and longer weekend episodes hosted by Manjrekar, which serve as the principal point of viewer engagement.
Bigg Boss Marathi is among the most prominent reality formats in Marathi-language television, drawing significant viewership in Maharashtra and among Marathi-speaking communities elsewhere in India. It has provided a high-visibility platform for actors from Marathi serials and films, and has occasionally served as a stepping stone to the larger Hindi entertainment industry. The show has also been part of the broader expansion of the Bigg Boss franchise into India's regional language markets.