Mohanlal's Bigg Boss runs into controversies on launch day; is it good or bad for the show?

Bigg Boss, the most anticipated reality show in Malayalam, was launched by Asianet on June 24. During the launch event, Mohanlal, who is the host of the show, revealed that Bigg Boss will be aired on Asianet at 9.30 pm on weekdays, and at 9 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Amid the luxurious launching ceremony, the selection of contestants in Bigg Boss has already racked up controversies.

The involvement of Tharikida Sabu

One of the contestants in the debut edition of Malayalam Bigg Boss is Sabumon Abdusamad, better known as Tharikida Sabu among television audiences. The man who was initially noted for his performance in the television show Tharikida later acted in some Malayalam movies too.

Recently, some explicit posts appeared on Tharikida Sabu's Facebook wall, and most of them were aimed at Lasitha Palakkal, a former leader of Rashtra Sevika Samithi, a Hindu nationalist women's organisation that parallels Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In the Facebook post, Sabu allegedly hurled obscene words against Lasitha, and in one post, he invited her to share his bed.

Soon, Lasitha had filed a police complaint and a case against Sabu. However, he was not arrested by the police nor was he summoned for his statement. 

As Sabu appeared in the Bigg Boss show, Lasitha posted in her Facebook page that she will continue her legal war until the day Sabu goes behind the bars. She added that the police is not acting properly in this case as she is a Sangh Parivar supporter.

Basheer Bashi: The man with two wives

Another controversial contestant in the Bigg Boss show is Basheer Bashi, a self-proclaimed model from Kochi. While introducing Basheer Bashi in the show, Mohanlal told that he is a special person, as the young man has two wives.

However, Mohanlal's statements have not gone down well with the general public, and they are criticising the superstar for making such irresponsible statement which glorifies polygamy.

Critics claim that a person like Basheer Bashi is not popular and credible enough to be a part of such an anticipated TV show.

Swetha Menon: The only saving grace

Even in the midst of these controversies, audiences believe that the only right selection in this competition is Swetha Menon, an actress who has made her presence felt in Mollywood, Bollywood, and Kollywood.

Some other noted contestants apart from Swetha are serial actress Archana Susheelan, television anchor Ranjini Haridas, actress and anchor Pearle Maaney and actor Anoop Chandran.

Are these controversies good for the show?

A section of people strongly believe that Asianet has selected contestants like Sabumon Abdusamad and Basheer Bashi to enhance the controversial elements surrounding the show. As per these people, controversies created by these persons will help the program to stay top in the channel TRP ratings.