Bigg Boss may be India’s most watched house of drama, but its audience is increasingly tired of watching the host play favourites. When Rohit Shetty stepped in for Salman Khan on Bigg Boss 20 over the last weekend, he reminded viewers what they had been missing: a host with a spine. He was candid, blunt, and unafraid of saying what needed to be said. From calling out Love Gill and Scout’s inappropriate touching to giving reality checks to Mahhi Vij and Amrapali Dubey, Shetty spoke for all Bigg Boss fans. And, the social media totally loved it.
Watching him, I couldn’t help but wonder how our idea of a good host has changed. Back then, the host was the star. Contestants were lucky to share the frame.
There was a time when Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan made hosting like an extension of their superstardom. Whether it was Bachchan’s gravitas on Kaun Banega Crorepati or SRK’s charm on Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?, sharing a stage with them felt like a pinch-me moment. More than relatability, they were in awe.
Then came Salman Khan, who made hosting Bigg Boss a part of his ‘Bhai’ persona. He could scold you, and occasionally give life advice. Khan’s candour and, at times, unbridled rage catapulted the show to the top. The audience lapped it up. His anger became appointment viewing, his reprimands went viral, and his approval was worn like a badge of honour in the Big Boss House.
But lately, it has been evident that Khan’s outrage sometimes seemed to have a guest list. For instance, his behaviour toward women who held their ground like Farrhana Bhatt, Hina Khan, and now Kanika Mann in earlier seasons doesn’t always sit well with the audiences.
When the likes of Sidharth Shukla or Asim Riaz expressed rage and abused their fellow contestants, or said statements like “Tum jaise ladkiyon ko maine ghar mai lena band kar diya (I have stopped bringing women like you in my house)”, Khan didn’t reprimand them. However, with Bhatt showing 50 per cent of the anger the men did, she was called out weekend after weekend. In the social media age, a host’s selective outrage rarely escapes the audience’s notice. The internet has receipts, and it loves bringing them out.
Then, Rohit Shetty showed up for the task. He brings the energy of a taskmaster, the timing of a comedian, and the willingness to call a spade a spade.
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The Rohit Shetty effect
Shetty has hosted Khatron Ke Khiladi for over a decade. His on-screen persona does not depend on being everyone’s favourite person in the room. He is direct, assertive, and comfortable with confrontation.
The best part about him is that he understands the format. On Khatron Ke Khiladi, where contestants are expected to push their physical and mental limits, he plays the mentor or the taskmaster. And, on Bigg Boss, whenever he hosts, twice before, he switches to being the voice of Bigg Boss fans. At least that’s what his short stint last weekend hinted toward.
I am not saying that he is a better host than Salman Khan, who has been central to Bigg Boss‘s appeal. But Shetty could easily be the perfect replacement. However, he is not the only promising host on the block
Kunal Khemu’s hosting debut with Prime Video’s The Alliance, which premiered in June 2026, was a hit. The reality show revolves around strategy, shifting loyalties and deception, with contestants competing in pairs before their alliances are tested.
Khemu‘s instinct for calling out unfairness became evident when contestant Kushal Tandon pushed Nikhil Chinapa during an argument. Khemu challenged him over the physical aggression, asking, “Aapka contract koi alag aaya hai?” The confrontation drew applause from fellow contestants as well as fans on social media.
Sanjay Dutt too tried his hand at hosting Bigg Boss but hosting this reality show requires a different kind of charisma. His stint as a host if anything is a reminder that being a good and popular actor does not automatically make one an engaging television host. There is a certain gravitas to Dutt, but the show needs someone who can command a room, challenge contestants, bring humour, take jokes, handle opposition from contestants with grace and make the weekend episodes worth tuning in for.
If a contestant crosses a line, their popularity, industry standing or ability to generate headlines should not protect them from consequences. And viewers don’t need another superstar on the pedestal. They want someone willing to hold everyone accountable to the same standard
Of course, Shetty and Khemu are hosting different formats, and their performances cannot be measured by the same yardstick. But both point to a growing appetite for hosts who feel like friends. They can laugh with contestants, take jokes on themselves for entertainment, without letting them get away with nonsense, and also call out bad behaviour.
The host’s job is to be the adult in the room sometimes. Not just be everyone’s Bhai, buddy or mentor.
Maybe that is what makes the new crop of hosts so appealing. They offer viewers the satisfaction of watching someone ask the very questions they have been screaming at their screens all week. Something which Salman Khan, unfortunately, has not been doing of late.
Views are personal.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)