Bigg Boss 18: Losing Morality In the Reality Show By Promoting Criminality

In recent years, reality shows like Bigg Boss 18 have become powerful platforms that shape public perception and cultural values. However, the inclusion of individuals with questionable moral and legal backgrounds in such shows raises serious ethical concerns. The recent controversy surrounding Rajat Dalal, a finalist on India’s most popular reality show, Bigg Boss, highlights the dangerous precedent of glorifying individuals with criminal tendencies.

The Problems

There are so many basic problems with promoting someone like Rajat Dalal. Let us ask a few questions to ourselves:

How did Rajat Dalal reach Bigg Boss 18?

Rajat Dalal became famous by committing violent crimes on camera and making threats and abuses to people on his Instagram. Due to his actions, he has faced many arrests and many FIRs are lodged against him in various cities of our country. Despite his documented history of illegal activities, violence, and public displays of lawlessness — including multiple arrests and Instagram live sessions showcasing his actions, the makers decided to include him in the show. There are many video evidence of his crimes available on the internet, one fine compilation has been done by Mohak Mangal on his Youtube Channel that can be watched at the below link:

What message does it give to youth who aspire to come to Bigg Boss?

The message is straightforward, if you want to come to Bigg Boss then you have to become famous and viral by choosing any path. You can take out your camera, find someone weaker, beat them, abuse them, threaten them, record these deeds, and share them on your social media. You will become famous, many young people will start following you considering you an alpha male and you can land a Bigg Boss offer. This is so dangerous. The fans of Rajat Dalal have already started showing potential criminal and rapist traits. They gave been giving rape and acid attack threats to every girl on social media who has criticized Rajat Dalal even for his game in the Bigg Boss. You will find hundreds of threats and filthy abuses on every post on social media that has criticized Rajat Dalal. His fans have been sending threatening and abusive messages to fans of other contestants. We have to ask ourselves, do we want such a society where our children become a bunch of abusive and rape-death threat-giving trolls? This toxic cycle—where criminal behavior begets more criminal behavior—is a clear indicator of the harm caused when makers fail to draw ethical boundaries.

Why did makers turn their eyes away from all the violence and threats during the show?

The most convenient excuse for makers can be that the cases against Rajat Dalal are in court and he is on bail right now. But the video evidence of all his crimes is already available in the public domain. Forget about evidence, he has himself confessed many of his crimes during the Bigg Boss show itself, he has confessed many crimes for which he has not even been booked till now. Forget about confession, we have seen Rajat Dalal bragging about his crimes in the show. All these things have gone completely unchecked in the house.

Violence is against the rules of Bigg Boss and contestants have been evicted from the house for mere pushing in the past seasons. Umar Riaz and Tehalka Prank are recent examples. But in the recent season of Bigg Boss 18 Rajat Dalal has crossed all limits. Below are some of the incidences when makers could have set the example right and could have evicted him from the show:

• Rajat Dalal threatened Shehzada Dhami and went into his personal space
• Rajat Dalal violently attacked and pushed Avinash Mishra twice in the show
• Rajat Dalal went into the personal space of Vivian Dsena many times and threatened him for his family
• Rajat Dalal pushed Digvijay Rathee by holding him with his collar

All the above occasions were clear violations of Bigg Boss’s own rules but they ignored all the rules. Forget about ignoring rules, makers left nothing to whitewash the image of Rajat Dala when even till the last day he has shown no sign of mending his path. One week before the finale, he was seen bragging about his violent nature and threatening Karanveer Mehra.

The Consequences of Glorifying Criminality

Allowing individuals like Rajat Dalal to participate and succeed in popular shows like Bigg Boss sends a dangerous message to society, particularly to impressionable youth. The implicit message is that:

1. Crime Pays: Engaging in unlawful and violent behavior can lead to fame, wealth, and social validation.
2. Toxic Role Models: Criminals can be celebrated and rewarded, overshadowing the contributions of individuals who achieve success through hard work and integrity.
3. No Accountability: Public figures can evade consequences for their actions, even when evidence is overwhelming.

This normalization of criminality not only undermines societal values but also risks creating a culture where notoriety becomes more desirable than genuine talent or virtue.

The Path Forward

First thing first, the makers should ensure that a person like Rajat Dalal doesn’t win the show. In the long run, they should consider taking the following steps:

1. Promote Positive Role Models: India is a vast country, and it is not difficult for the makers to find 15-20 viral contestants who become famous for their talent, or at least not in a negative way. They can bring such people so that it doesn’t impact our society negatively.
2. Zero Tolerance for Violence: Adopt clear policies to immediately evict contestants who display threatening or violent behavior.
3. Transparent Accountability: Publicly address controversies and take corrective actions to rebuild trust with viewers. If someone like Rajat Dalal wins the show then most decent audience will stop watching the show forever.

Conclusion

The glorification of individuals with criminal tendencies on reality shows is a disservice to society. It not only tarnishes the integrity of the platform but also sets a harmful precedent for future generations. As viewers, creators, and stakeholders, we must demand better from our entertainment industry. By celebrating those who inspire through positive actions, we can ensure that media remains a force for good, not a breeding ground for notoriety.

Let us choose to elevate role models who embody values worth emulating. Fame should be a reward for excellence, not infamy.