22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Move over Bigg Boss, Zee TV's ‘Gori Chale Gaon' is bringing rural drama with a city twist; All you need to know
In a move that could change the Indian reality TV game, Banijay Asia is reportedly set to launch a new reality show on Zee TV, tentatively titled Gori Chale Gaon. The format? Urban glamour meets rural grit. Think Bigg Boss, but swap the luxury mansion for a mud house in Madhya Pradesh's Sehore village. Swap poolside gossip for milking cows and ploughing fields. And this time, it's 15 urban women celebrities who must survive without their comfort zones.
What is Gori Chale Gaon?
According to India Forums, this is a social experiment that meets the survival reality show. Gori Chale Gaon will drop 15 city-based female celebrities into a traditional Indian village, tasking them with living like locals, no phones, no assistants, no vanity vans. Contestants will cook on chulhas, fetch water manually, work on farms, and perform daily chores typical of rural Indian households.
Inspired by Marathi hit Jau Bai Gaavat
This format takes cues from Zee Marathi's popular show Jau Bai Gaavat, which aired on Zee Marathi from December 4, 2023, to February 11, 2024. Hosted by Hardeek Joshi, the show featured 11 urban women contestants who left their luxurious lifestyles behind to experience rural life in Bavdhan, Maharashtra. After 62 episodes, Ramsha Farooqui emerged as the winner of the inaugural season, taking home a prize of ₹20 lakhs.
Why this is big: Banijay breaks away from Colors TV
For years, Banijay Asia (under the aegis of Endemol Shine India) was the powerhouse behind Bigg Boss and Khatron Ke Khiladi for Colors TV. But cracks appeared in 2023. Banijay's strategic deal with Zee TV, to create a format similar to Bigg Boss, reportedly didn't sit well with Colors' leadership.
Sources say the relationship deteriorated fast. Although neither side has publicly confirmed the fallout, Banijay has currently halted the future seasons of Bigg Boss and Khatron Ke Khiladi. As of now, there are unconfirmed talks of Bigg Boss moving to Sony TV for upcoming seasons. Banijay, meanwhile, is calling Gori Chale Gaon its 'fresh start', a project that is fully under its creative control and free from old constraints.
