Bigg Boss Telugu 9, Kalyan Padala first finalist, Rithu Chowdary task controversy, Bigg Boss today episode review

Bigg Boss is able to discern the precise moment when a contestant should be pushed, when they should be drawn back, and when the entire situation is to be altered overnight. The viewers, however, have already got accustomed to this and have even made their peace with it—the last man standing, the last winner of the audience's hearts, and so on. This is what happened this season too, it seems like the tales of the backstage crew have been more vivid than the actual plots on screen. Bigg Boss has, however, managed to keep the audience entertained by its sheer manipulation of the game—first, Kalyan Padala became the first finalist of Bigg Boss 9 and then his supporters rejoiced, but the move suggests the opposite, that it may be the end of him as far as the title is concerned.

The social media is flooded with comments like, “Our last captain; our first finalist; now the title is also ours.” Kalyan’s followers are making a lot of noise in celebration, but as per the current scenario of the game it seems that the first finalist award may have been purposely given to him to keep him away from the winner’s award later.

The final challenge that determined the first finalist looked perfectly made for Kalyan from the very beginning. His competitor was Rithu Chowdary - and whether we acknowledge it or not, a physical challenge always favors a stronger male contestant. Bigg Boss was absolutely aware of this fact, yet a task full of physical hurdles was planned: lifting bags, crawling through tunnels, balancing on pipes. These physical activities naturally made Kalyan the one to beat. If the objective had been to have a fair competition, then one could have thought of a mind test one instead of a brainless elimination task.

One starts to wonder if the same tough physical test would have been given to Rithu if Tanuja was the one competing against Kalyan. Probably not. Because if Rithu had won and become the first finalist, then the Bigg Boss team would have to deal with a new problem. It would be very challenging to get her into the Top 5 just through audience voting with strong contestants like Kalyan, Tanuja, and Emmanuel already being in the limelight. That leaves only two spots open to fight for—with Bharani, Sanjana and Demon competing. Giving Rithu a free pass to the finale would disrupt their planned flow of the game.

On the other hand, Kalyan did not require either the title of first finalist or the immunity that accompanies it. He was almost certain to make it to the Top 5 solely through public support. However, Bigg Boss has in effect prevented him from voting for almost two weeks—last week as captain, this week as first finalist, and next week again out of the voting race. That means three weeks without any public interactions from his fan base.

Such a prolonged voting break could drive a wedge between the supporters of Kalyan, especially so as Tanuja, who battled hard to push him up, would be the likely candidate taking over a portion of Kalyan’s vote bank. When the week of the finale arrives, will Kalyan’s fan energy still be powerful enough to challenge someone who has been constantly involved in the voting process? That becomes a significant question.

Another major trend in Bigg Boss Telugu that raises doubts is that no contestant has ever died with the Ticket to Finale and the Bigg Boss trophy in hand. That historic trend—completely Kalyan’s journey—hangs like a shadow over him.

If one takes a look at the happenings in the day’s episode, it seems like the first finalist trophy is not a present but a tactical move to keep Kalyan off the winner’s platform.