The seventh season of Bigg Boss Malayalam, hosted by Mohanlal from the very beginning, has taken the lead across all Indian versions of the franchise according to the latest Television Viewership Ratings. The show has recorded a TVR of 12.1, placing it ahead of its Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada counterparts.
In comparison, Bigg Boss Telugu Season 9, hosted by Nagarjuna, currently holds a rating of 11.1. Bigg Boss Kannada Season 12, with Kiccha Sudeep as host, stands at 7.4 on weekdays and 10.9 on weekends after briefly pausing production due to an environment-related shutdown of its studio space in Bidadi. Bigg Boss Tamil, now fronted by Vijay Sethupathi in its 9th season, has a 5.61 rating and is facing renewed calls for a ban from political voices who claim it offends Tamil cultural values. Bigg Boss Hindi Season 19, led by Salman Khan, currently has the lowest rating with 1.8 on weekends after a slight rise from 1.3.
Across languages, the format remains one of the most watched on television, even as criticism around tone and content grows louder. For now, the Malayalam edition anchored by Mohanlal is the strongest performer in the country.
The news arrives in a year that has already been unusually bright for Mohanlal. On screen, he has enjoyed back-to-back success in Malayalam with L2: Empuraan and Thudarum. The rereleases of Chotta Mumbai and Ravanaprabhu have also run to packed houses. Earlier this year, he was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest recognition in Indian cinema.
Notably, the Malayalam version of Big Boss has also been at the centre of wider conversations beyond ratings. In September, Mohanlal confronted a wildcard contestant over openly homophobic remarks made inside the house, which went viral among netizens. He intervened in support of contestants Adhila Nasarin and Fathima Noora, the first openly LGBTQ+ couple on the Malayalam edition, telling the offender that the couple owed no justification to anyone and warning that such remarks would not be tolerated. The exchange drew widespread appreciation on social media and was viewed as an example of the host taking a clear public stance on inclusivity.
