Salman Khan begins Bigg Boss 20 shoot ahead of grand premiere

Dubai: Salman Khan has started shooting for the grand premiere of Bigg Boss 20, ahead of the show's September 6 launch.

The actor was seen on the set in a black T-shirt, waistcoat, jeans and a cowboy hat. Photos and videos from the shoot show Khan posing for photographers and interacting with paparazzi.

Khan returns as host for the 20th season, which promises a new house and several twists.

A fantasy-inspired house

The new Bigg Boss house spans about 10,000 square feet and is designed around the theme of duality.

The design combines familiar objects with unexpected elements, taking inspiration from Alice in Wonderland and surrealism.

Among the standout features are a giant teapot that appears to pour into a couch, an octopus holding chess pieces, a hot-air balloon turned into a seating area and a shark-themed pool.

The house also features a Mad Hatter figure, oversized birds and a snake wrapped around a tree.

104 cameras and a mystery room

The house has 104 cameras to monitor the contestants. One of the biggest talking points is Room 20, a new space whose purpose has not been revealed. Reports have also mentioned another mystery space, Room 2X, with details expected to emerge during the season.

The traditional jail is also missing from the house at the start of the season. It could reportedly be introduced later.

New designer for Bigg Boss

The house has also seen a change behind the scenes. After designing the Hindi version of Bigg Boss for 19 years, Omung Kumar has handed over the responsibility to Varsha Jain, who has previously worked on Bigg Boss houses in the South.

Jain said the design was created to make familiar objects look unexpected and to blur the line between reality and imagination.

“The idea was to explore duality by taking objects and symbols that audiences instantly recognise and reimagining them in unexpected ways,” Jain said.

She added that the eyes incorporated throughout the house reflect the central idea of Bigg Boss — that nothing goes unseen.

Who could enter Bigg Boss 20?

Several television personalities, actors and social media figures have been linked to the new season.

Names reported include Mahhi Vij, Kushal Tanwar, Qazi Touqeer, Arishfa Khan, Kanika Mann and Isha Rikhi. Other names doing the rounds include rapper Yung DSA, Uditi Singh, Khushi Dubey, Faisal Khan, Geeta Basra, Amrapali Dubey, Rohed Khan, Rhiya Ahir, Love Gill, Rhiti Tiwari and Nitish Rajput.

The complete lineup has yet to be officially confirmed, so the reported names should be treated as tentative.

Viewers get a say

Viewers have also been given a role in deciding one contestant. Rhiya Ahir and Love Gill were put forward for a viewer-voted spot in the house, with voting taking place through JioHotstar. The winner is expected to be revealed during the grand premiere.

There have also been reports of a possible two-house format, which could give evicted contestants another route back into the competition. The makers have not yet revealed full details of the reported twist.

When to watch Bigg Boss 20

Bigg Boss 20 premieres on September 6, 2026.

The show will stream on JioHotstar at 9pm, while its television broadcast on Colors TV begins at 10.30pm.

Salman Khan will return as host as the long-running reality show enters its 20th season.

 With inputs from IANS